RWBY and JNPR watch the show
by Turniphater
Summary: Between Volumes 2 and 3 the members of team RWBY and JNPR are taken to a mysterious location and shown videos of the past and future.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

 **This Fanfic is meant for the purpose of showing how teams RWBY and JNPR would react to watching the show, there is no secret plot that does not already exist in RWBY (the series). The scenes they watch are edited such that they will not seem like a show and instead visions of the past and future. The time this takes place is in-between Volume 2 and 3, I am assuming/pretending that there is a significant gap in time between the volumes for the purpose of this fanfic. The characters will be hearing the songs and BGM, however I will sometimes not include all of the lyrics.**

It's just another ordinary day for team RWBY as they walk back to their room after a very long lecture from Professor Port. Weiss is trying to help Ruby remember the most vulnerable parts of a Death Stalker while Yang is stretching her arms after having to sit still for so long, and Blake is being her usual quiet self.

"So, do you think Jaune's found his missing notes yet?" asks Yang, interrupting Weiss and Ruby's conversation.

"Knowing him, he should have found them around the dorm by now," Ruby replies, "I still think this is just Nora playing a prank on him."

"I suppose that is possible," Weiss admits, "however, this is Jaune we're talking about. I wouldn't put it past him to just be that forgetful."

"What should we do for the rest of the day?" Yang asks, "We don't usually have anything planned around now."

"We should probably do some more training," Ruby suggests. _'I doubt Weiss would be very happy with doing anything else.'_

"I think that is an excellent idea," Weiss responds, "It's only one more month until the Vytal Festival."

"Let me just drop off my books first.," Ruby says just as they arrive at the door to their room.

Ruby opens the door to their room and rushes in, but then she stops, realising that something's wrong.

"Wh-What?" Ruby mumbles as she looks around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

The room she's entered is not theirs, in fact the very structure of this new room is too big to fit within the space their room used to be. The new room has a casual look to it with the most obvious contents being a couple of sofas in front of some tables and a large TV screen.

"What the hell happened to our room!?" Yang yells as she and the others follow Ruby into this unfamiliar territory. But as soon as she finishes talking, the door behind them slams shut. Blake grabs the handle in an attempt to open the door, but it soon becomes clear that no amount of force will make it budge.

"What is this place," Weiss asks as she looks around, cautious of any hidden dangers.

"I found a note," Ruby announce,s getting everyone's attention.

On the note are just a few lines:

 _Welcome, I apologise for kidnapping you, however this experience should be beneficial to all of you. I have prepared many videos for the eight of you to watch, showing events that take place in the past and future. Use this knowledge to prevent catastrophe in the new future you create. You won't be able to leave until you've watched everything._

 _P.S. The doors on the left and right lead to exact replicas of your rooms, food is provided on the various shelves, and time doesn't pass here, so you won't miss any classes._

"What does it mean the eight of us?" Blake asks, confused, as there are only four of them in the room, only to be immediately answered by the door behind them opening again to reveal the members of team JNPR as they are talking to each other.

Much like team RWBY, they stop when they realise they aren't in their own room, and the door slams shut behind them.

After a brief talk about the situation they were in and confirmation that the info in the post-script was true, the teams directly addressed the issues on their minds.

"So, what does this mean?" Jaune asks, slightly unsure about the situation he and his friends are in.

"It means it's movie night!" Nora states enthusiastically.

"I think the situation is a little more serious than that," Blake interjects.

"Well, I don't really see many options available to us, so it may be best to just go along with what the note says," Pyrrha says, sitting down on one of the sofas.

"There is one thing that worries me though," Weiss says, "What is this catastrophe the note talks about, is something bad going to happen in the future?"

"If it does then that means we're the only ones capable of preventing it," Ruby replies, "so I say it's our duty to prevent whatever bad things we see in the future."

"This is not going to be pretty," Ren mutters as Yang takes the remote from one of the tables and presses play.

 **A/N**

 **Hello audience, this is my first fanfic and I have no idea what I am doing so if anyone has advice or criticism it is welcome. I'm hoping to make this a kind of community made Fanfic so if you have any idea how people should react to certain scenes, if you think I need to change my wording for certain lines or if you are willing to write out the events in the show it would be much appreciated.**

 **I made this because I noticed a surprising lack of reacting to RWBY fanfics and I really enjoy those fanfics so here is my attempt. My main inspiration for this is Danganronpa: Class 78th watches the future and Attack on Titan: Power to strive**


	2. Red Trailer

**A/N**

 **New chapter**

 **Enjoy**

The screen shows the words: **"Red" Trailer**

"Trailer? Does that mean it hasn't really started yet?" Weiss questions.

 **The video starts with music in the background and the moon being shown while rose petals are gliding in front of it.**

"Oooohh, we get music to go along with it too!" Ruby says, bouncing in excitement.

 **Ruby in her cloak is shown standing in front of a gravestone near a cliff with petals surrounding her as a female voice in the background sings, _"Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest..."_**

Ruby suddenly becomes less enthusiastic, and Blake asks, "So this is about Ruby? Whose grave is that?"

"It's... mine and Ruby's mom," Yang replies in a soft voice.

 **Ruby walks away from the grave and into the forest behind her as the singing continues. _"White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test."_**

"Is that supposed to be me?" Weiss asks, looking around only to see Nora shrug.

 **The perspective changes to reveal a large pack of Beowolves. _"Black the beast descends from shadows..."_**

"If so, that would be me, and I don't like the implication," Blake responds, her eye twitching a bit.

At this point, Yang decides to ask, "Has this happened to you, Ruby?"

"Yeah, it was just before I came to Vale, and there wasn't any music," Ruby replies.

"Obviously." Weiss says, rolling her eyes.

 ** _"Yellow beauty burns..."_**

 **Three Beowolves attack Ruby as she disappears in a swish of rose petals, and the creatures crash to the ground. They look upwards to see Ruby above them with the full moon shining behind her. _"...gold."_**

"And that clearly refers to me," Yang states.

 **While outlined by the moon's light, her cape swirling around her body, Ruby reaches behind her in slow-motion, pulls out her weapon in rifle form, and fires a shot that blows a large part of a Beowolf's head out in a burst of smoke.**

 **More Beowolves start to attack as Ruby lands. She leaps over the first beast and shoots it in the back, and then, still in the air, blasts another one's side and gets into a position where she can fire at the third dead centre. She rolls back and stands, unfolding Crescent Rose into its larger, and deadlier, scythe form.**

"Wow," Jaune says in awe, "I know I've said it before, but you're pretty good with a scythe."

"Oh, stop, you don't need to say that," Ruby replies, trying and failing to hide her excitement.

 **One of the braver Beowolves dashes forward, but Ruby merely spins, hooks its body in the curve of her blade, and fires the sniper section at speeds that sever the creature's body in half. Both halves land on the ground, and the rest of the pack charges.**

 **Ruby, rotating the weapon, unloads her spent bullet and drives the blade into the ground, firing from a single spot at several approaching monsters until one swipes at her feet, narrowly missing as she jumps up with Crescent Rose and blasts back, digging it into the ground again and swinging her body to land on it.**

 _'You can tell how Ruby bases her fighting style on Uncle Qrow,'_ Yang thinks, _'Though, that might just be because he's the one who taught her.'_

 **A Beowolf almost gets her with its claws, but she twists out of the way, fires at the monster in front of her to make both weapon and wielder spin, and kicks at the one behind her. She twirls the scythe and cuts down Beowolves from both sides, dodging another attack to hook a beast in and blast out at an approaching creature to kill both.**

 **Ruby leaps over two, goes in to dismember and cut down one, and catches another's neck in her blade, with her on the beast's back, before pulling the trigger and beheading it while flying upwards. Two Beowolves follow, but she shoots her way down and slices them up when she has to block from a wolf's swipe on the ground, which pushes her back and lets her see the large number of enemies left.**

Weiss glares at Ruby. "Who were you trying to impress with that Ruby, I'm sure there is a far more practical way to dealing with them."

"My Uncle Qrow said Hunters should always have a sense of style to show that we're not afraid of the Grimm," Ruby replies.

 **The music picks up and Ruby uses her semblance to kill the Grimm so fast all that can be seen is a blur. She converts her scythe to a sickle-shape and spins her way through the mass, cutting up and down, left and right, leaving bullets, rose petals, and blackened body parts flying into the air.**

 **Finally, the last Beowolf is killed, and Ruby finishes by firing a blast that launches her into the sky, then lands in a pose with her scythe hanging behind her as Dust pellets rain from the sky.**

"Well that was fun, but I still don't really see the point of us watching that," Nora says.

 **The screen fades and then shows the silhouettes of team RWBY each in front of their respective letter and Ruby comes into full view.**

"Does this mean there are three more videos to watch?" Jaune asks.

Only a short moment passes before Pyrrha replies, "The note implied we would be here for a long time, so I'm sure there will be more after that."

For the first time in a while Ren decides to speak, "Are you sure everything happened exactly the way it was shown?"

"Pretty sure," Ruby answers, "but my memory's not the best, so for all I know there could be a branch missing, or something."

"Good enough," Weiss says, "but how was anyone able to make this? I'm assuming there weren't any cameras near you at the time?"

"I don't know, how did we get in this room in the first place?" Ruby responds.

Yang, deciding to get some snacks, gives her opinion, "How about we just accept it for what it is and keep watching, not much else we can do."

Blake gets up to go after Yang. "But if we're changing the future by watching this, then it must have some importance."

"Like I said, all we can do is wait to find out," Yang replies.

Now with a multitude of snacks in front of them, the friends decide to watch the next video.

 **A/N**

 **In the version they are watching, the beowolves look like real beowolves and in the future they won't see things like shadow people.**


	3. White Trailer

**A/N**

 **If I get any Facts wrong or a character acts OOC, please inform me with an alternate line to replace my mistake**

* * *

" **White" Trailer**

Yang sits back down with the rest of her team. "Three guesses who."

"Weiss! I guess Weiss!" Nora declares loudly.

Meanwhile, Weiss is staring intently at the screen wondering what will be shown about her and hoping it won't be anything too private.

 **The screen fades in with the written words:** _ **Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or form of measure. And all of it… irreplaceable.**_

 _'That's, quite insightful.'_ Weiss thinks _'And it's obviously referring to me.'_

" **Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Weiss Schnee." an announcer says in the background.**

 _'Is this one of my concerts?'_ Weiss wonders.

"I win!" Nora announces as the rest of her team just smile at her.

 **Weiss walks forward, music starts playing, the audience is shown blurred because of the lights.**

"This some kind of concert?" Yang asks, only to receive a nod from Weiss whose eyes are locked on the screen.

 **Weiss starts singing** ** _"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest, of all."_**

"Wait so you're singing?" Ruby asks.

"It would appear so." Weiss's replies as she takes in everything on the screen.

 **While she sings, the perspective shifts to the scar-free reflection underneath her and rotates to show a different scene of Weiss standing before a giant set of armour with an equally massive broadsword.**

"What just happened?" Pyrrha asks.

"I think it's a backstory sequence." Jaune explains. "During a show they sometimes cut to a person's backstory, so we can get a better understanding of their motivations and why the do the things they do."

Ruby tilts her head. "This entire thing is a backstory in a way. Does that mean we're the heroes in some kind of story?"

"Heroes only exist when there is some tragedy they need to prevent." Ren warns, his thought on the meaning of the catastrophe becoming clearer. Shaking his head, he decides to mention it later.

 **Weiss backflips just as the Giant Armour brings its blade down on where she was.**

"What is that thing?" Yang asks.

"It's an animated suit of armour, my family keeps a collection as decoration." Weiss explains. "But it ended up being possessed by multiple possession-type Grimm, so I decided to destroy it as a way of proving to my father that I'm capable of the Huntress line of work." _'He still wasn't happy about it though.'_

 _ **"Mirror, tell me something.**_ ** _Tell me who's the loneliest, of all."_** **Weiss unsheathes her own rapier, Myrtenaster, and darts forward, getting a hit on her enemy before twirling into a landing. The Giant Armour swings again, but she dashes away and lands several spinning slashes on the creature. It retaliates when she uppercuts into the air, arcing its sword around and hitting Weiss' rapier, which she brings up just in time to merely knock her back.**

"Go Weiss, you can do it!" Ruby cheers.

"I've already done it Ruby, and I came out fine… mostly." Weiss replies, eyes never leaving the screen.

"Mostly?" Blake asks, worried about what had happened to her teammate.

 **Weiss looks up to see the Giant Armour leaping into the air and hurling the sword down on her, then swinging it back up in an effort to get its fast-moving target. It finally hits her blade again, and she is knocked away until she rolls back on her feet.**

 ** _"Fear of what's inside of me._** ** _Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?"_** **With white energy now gathered on her fingertips, Weiss motions to the ground beneath her, and a snowflake symbol appears that propels her forward at extreme speeds. Despite the Giant Armour's attempts to slash at her, Weiss disappears and reappears all around it, leaping through the air using her glyphs and landing a blow with each pass.**

"Yeah! Go Weiss!" Ruby continues cheering.

 **Weiss takes another hit and the scene changes to her singing until changing back to the battle.**

"Someone decided to go all out on the editing." Jaune comments.

Weiss just keeps looking with a slightly annoyed expression on her face. _'Why did they have to do that, it makes my job that much harder.'_

 **Weiss is shown to be bleeding across her left eye and starts loading Dust into her Rapier.**

"So that's how you got that scar." Nora says, "I always thought it was some sort of Schnee birthmark."

Ren sighs. "Don't be ridiculous Nora."

 ** _"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see!"_** **Weiss uses the dust to counter the knight followed by freezing its feet with ice, so it attacks, and she jumps onto its sword in order to get close and deal another dust infused attack destroying the ice and making it drop its sword.** _ **"I can keep it from the world, Why won't you let me hide from me?"**_

 _'Next it tries to crush me with its right hand so I roll to the side and use glyphs to negate gravity so I can lock it in place.'_ Weiss thinks, trying to recall every detail about the fight down to the last muscle movement.

 _ **"Mirror, mirror, tell me something."**_ **The knight charges at her but she skilfully evades with a roll and uses her glyphs to make it hover above the ground before locking it in place with projectile glyphs.**

 _'Check, Check, Check, Check, everything seems to be correct down to the settings on Myrtenaster.'_ Weiss thinks.

"Finish him!" Ruby yells, hands shaking in excitement.

 ** _"Who's the loneliest of all?"_** **The scene switches to Weiss singing for a split second as she is preparing for an attack.**

 _ **"I'm the loneliest, of, all."**_ **Her rapier glows white as she deals the final blow.**

"Something you want to tell us about those lyrics?" Pyrrha asks, noticing the themes they seem to have.

 **The knight is destroyed as the music stops and singing Weiss curtsies as the curtains close.**

 _'Finally.'_ Weiss rests her eyes and lays back on the sofa, tired from so much mental work.

 **The Silhouettes from last trailer appear but this time with Weiss also in full view.**

"And that's it." Yang says, looking around at everyone's responses.

"Still nothing of any particular importance." Ren says.

"When do we get to see team JNPR?" Nora complains.

As Ren tried to calm down Nora, Pyrrha takes notice of how Weiss is resting and asks: "Are you okay Weiss?"

At Pyrrha's question Weiss sits herself back up and declares to the entire room. "These videos are completely accurate."

"What do you mean?" Blake asks.

"I mean everything we saw is exactly what happened to me, apart from the switching between two events obviously." Weiss replies. "I was checking the whole way through and everything was completely in line with my memories."

Pyrrha asks. "You still didn't answer my question, what is the meaning behind those lyrics?" She wants to know if there was anything she could do to help.

"That's, personal. I'd rather not talk about it now." Is the only answer received.

"So, does this mean Blake is next?" Ruby inquires.

"Probably, I wonder what we'll see?" says Jaune, tilting his head towards the girl in question.

Blake's only response is to cast her eyes downwards and give a silent prayer that they wouldn't be shown any of her more, illegal actions during her time in the White Fang.

Readying themselves, Yang presses the button to continue on to the next 'trailer'.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Making a Fanfic is harder than I thought it would be.**

 **If you have any suggestions for alternate or extra responses the characters should have please don't forget to inform me, any help is very much appreciated**


	4. Black Trailer

**A/N**

 **Here you go, have a chapter.**

 **If you read the first two chapters early on then you may find some (hopefully all) of the mistakes fixed.**

 **Thank you to my first reviewers, no I will not do a "hotline Miami alternative with Jaune as jacket"**

 **I prefer to not ever break canon, and this is the reason Ozpin and Qrow weren't invited to this viewing as I suspect they have information that they would reveal and we the viewers have not seen yet so I obviously couldn't write about it.**

 **If this somehow becomes popular, let it be known that at this moment I have seen up to Volume 5 but have no knowledge that comes from Chibi.**

* * *

" **Black" Trailer**

"So, what can we expect to see?" Jaune asks.

Blake replies, "I don't know; it could just show me as a child, though I doubt it."

"If the previous so called 'trailers' are anything to go by then there should be a fight scene," Ruby comments.

 _'That doesn't comfort me,'_ thinks Blake, as her time fighting before Beacon mostly consisted of the her last few years in the White Fang.

 **Again, words are shown at the start:**

 ** _Your hopes have become my burden. I will find my own liberation._**

 _'Definitely to do with the White Fang,'_ Blake relents.

"How come I didn't get a cool quote," Ruby says, clearly faking her annoyment.

 **The video begins with the perspective descending into Forever Fall to show Blake sitting on a rock facing away.**

"Who do you think the quote is meant to be addressed to?" Yang inquires.

"It's…" Blake started with hesitation in her voice.

" **Blake, it's time." A man walks in from the left.**

 **Blake turns to face him. "Okay."**

"...him." she finishes, backing into the sofa in an attempt to avoid everyone else looking at her.

 **The two are shown running until they reach a cliff.**

"So, who is he?" Jaune asks slowly, trying to give her the space she clearly wants.

"Adam," Blake responds, "He was my partner until I left because of, uh, moral differences."

"Left what?" Pyrrha asks, as she and the rest of team JNPR had never been given the full details of what Blake did before coming to Beacon.

 **The sound of a train is heard before being shown travelling beneath the cliff.**

Weiss is taken back for a moment, trying to understand what this means. _'Was Blake responsible for the train hijacking? She should have told me something; I've already decided to forgive her.'_ She looked over to her teammate who is purposely looking away with a dejected look.

 **Blake and Adam descend onto the roof of a train cart before running forward in the direction of a hatch.**

"Is this some kind of spy movie, or a secret undercover job?" Nora asks, practically jumping up and down on her seat.

Blake musters all of her courage and decides to get it over with. "I was in the White Fang before joining Beacon."

The room goes silent for a moment.

"The same White Fang that worked with Torchwick?" Ren asks.

"I left before he had anything to do with them," Blake quickly responds, defensive about the subject and not wanting her friends to think less of her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Pyrrha asks, she's worried that if Blake doesn't trust them with that information, then does she not consider them friends?

"I didn't want any of you to think less of me," Blake responds. This puts Pyrrha's worries to rest.

 **Adam opens the hatch, and they go inside.**

" **Looks like we're going to be doing this the hard way," Adam states as robot soldiers are shown surrounding them.**

" **Don't be so dramatic," Blake responds as they get into a fighting stance.**

"So, what was Adam like?" Yang decides to ask

"He was...determined in his beliefs and how to accomplish his goals," Blake answers, "This ended up leading him down a dark path when peaceful protests were shown to not be very effective."

 **One of the robots points its guns at them and says, "INTRUDER, IDENTIFY YOURSELF," only for Adam to shoot his sword at it, grab it back as the machine is dealing with the impact, and deal a final blow. He then sheaths his sword again.**

"Why does he sheath his sword during a fight?" Weiss asks.

"His fighting style and Semblance are all about the action of unsheathing, so he's more dangerous without his sword drawn," Blake explains.

"And what is his Semblance?" Weiss asks.

"You'll see in just a bit," Blake explains.

 **The robots whip out their knife hands and attack Blake who dodges them with her Semblance.**

 ** _"From shadows we'll descend upon the world."_** **The two fight off the machines while covering each others backs. _"Take back what you stole."_**

"Well, that's not relevant at all." Nora sarcastically remarks, referring to the song lyrics.

"You think we can watch these a second time?" Ren asks around. "I want to write down all the lyrics to see if there is any hidden meaning."

"God, even now you're being such a bookworm," Nora complains.

"I think it's important that we make the most out of this experience. Especially if some kind of catastrophe is supposed to happen", Ren explains.

"Why has it stopped," Ruby asks, pointing at the screen that is frozen on a picture of Blake standing in battle position.

"Don't look at me, I didn't do anything." Yang holds up her hands showing she hasn't touched the remote.

Weiss explains, "I remember it happened before where the video pauses anytime a conversation is taking place."

"So, all we have to do is shut up?" Yang asks.

The group then sits in silence for a few seconds before the video plays again.

 **Blake moves forward to take out several soldiers as Adam follows her, kicking one out the door that they then leave through.**

"It would seem so," Weiss deduces.

 **Many soldiers are shown moving towards them over a pile of crates. "Let's do this," Adam says as they charge forwards.**

 **The two work together in clearly well-trained synchronisation as Blake uses her weapon as a kusarigama.**

"You two clearly knew how to fight together." Jaune comments. "How long did you know each other for?"

Blake shifts uncomfortably. "I'd rather not talk about my time with Adam. I was hoping to put all that behind me when I came to Beacon."

 **Blake and Adam enter into the next cart where they find may crates of Schnee dust. The music calms down at this point, fading into silence.**

"Wait, so you were stealing Schnee dust?" Ruby asks.

"The Schnee Dust Company has a history of offering jobs to Faunus and then provide them with unsuitable working and living conditions." Blake explains. "It's not surprising for the White Fang to target them."

Weiss sighs. "While I can't deny those claims, I will say that I had nothing to do with it."

"Good, just promise me that when you take over the company you will try to fix things." Blake responds.

"I will!" Weiss promises, a determined look in her eyes. _'That was my plan from the beginning.'_

" **Perfect." Adam states "Move up to the next car." A mysterious machine is shown moving on the ceiling as he gives his instructions.**

"Look out!" Nora yells, pointing at the droid.

" **I'll set the charges." He declares.**

" **What about the crew-members?" Blake asks.**

" **What about them?" he replies with an obvious disregard for their lives.**

"He was willing to kill them?!" Weiss shouts, worried that innocent people were being targeted just because they work for her father's company.

"This was the tipping point." Blake laments. "I decided I couldn't follow him anymore if he was willing to do something like this."

 **A sound is heard as they turn around and see a spider droid descend from the ceiling and aim its guns at them.**

 ** _"Born with, no life, into subjugation."_**

" **Adam." Blake says anxiously as the two start to fight the new threat.**

 ** _"Treated, like a, worthless animal."_**

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but..." Jaune asks. "...is it really that bad the way Faunus are treated?"

"Some places are better than others." Blake explains. "It's especially bad in Atlas, but outside of Menagerie no matter where you go there will be some people who treat you like second class citizens."

 **When Blake runs in to attack, she gets headbutted by the droid falling down only for Adam to draw its attention as she recovers.**

 **Adam then gets kicked away as the droid prepares to stomp on Blake.**

 **Adam quickly rushes back getting Blake out of harm's way in the nick of time.**

"How did you beat something like that with just the two of you?" Pyrrha asks, though she knows she could do it, this is mostly thanks to her Semblance being perfect for fighting anything metallic.

"You'll see." Blake says, taking some chips from the bowl on the table in front of her.

"How would we deal with it?" Weiss wonders. "Not that I expect to fight one of those things. But we should at least have a plan."

"Same plan as when we first fought a Paladin." Ruby responds. "But we could probably beat it before having to rely on Yang's Semblance."

" **We need to get out of here." Blake says as the droid charges a large attack that then hits them sending them onto an open train cart.**

 **The two get up. "Buy me some time!" Adam says.**

" **Are you sure?" Blake worries.**

" **Do it!" Adam demands, as he grips his sword, clearly preparing something.**

Weiss pays careful attention. _'So this is when he reveals his secret weapon. I should take note of what it is in case he ever comes after me.'_

 **Blake runs up to the Spider Droid and starts attacking it, switching between the use of her weapon as a Katana, Cleaver, Pistol and Kusarigama in order to draw its attention.**

 **After some time, Blake jumps back as the droid prepared to fire another beam attack.**

" **Move!" Adam yells as the Beam is fired and he catches it with his sword.**

"How did he do that?" Yang asks Blake.

"It's his Semblance." Blake explains "He can store the power of the attacks he receives and release it all in a single blow."

 _'Good to know.'_ Weiss thinks.

"That sounds sorta like Yang." Ruby comments.

"I'd say it's stronger than Yang's, but is limited to a single attack." Blake explains.

At this point Yang bumps her fists together. "So all I have to do is endure that one hit and he won't stand a chance."

"That's a terrible idea!" Blake urges, the fear clear for all to see. "It may be only one attack, but I'm yet to see anyone endure it."

 **As his body starts to glow, the droid jumps toward him. Adam then slashes out with his sword, disintegrating the droid and even affecting the trees in the Red Forest causing their leaves to fly into the air.**

"See!" Blake points at the screen. "Please, all of you, don't ever try to endure one of Adams attacks."

Yang is taken back by how worried Blake looks. "Okay, jeez, I was just joking around."

 **As Adam walks back towards Blake, he finds her on a separate train car standing near the connector between the cars. As he reaches out to her...**

"And this is how I left." Blake informs them.

" **Goodbye." Blake says, severing the connection and letting the released carts slow down as she lets the rest of the train continue en-route. As she leaves, the background becomes completely red with a black silhouette of Blake in the middle, with black leaves falling down.**

"So, does this mean you saved the crew-members?" Ruby asks.

"I think so. Trains like that rarely have crew-members on any of the cargo carts and the train should have made it to the station without any problems." Blake explains.

Jaune cuts in. "You did the right thing, no one here blames you right?" he looks at his team members.

"Yea!" Nora yells

"Of course" Pyrrha agrees.

Ren simply nods his head while smiling.

"Thanks everyone." Blake smiles "That means a lot to me."

 **Again, Silhouettes from previous trailers appear and this time with Blake fully defined as well.**

"My turn next." Yang exclaims "I think I have a good idea as to what we'll see."

"Really, what?" Ruby asks her sister

"Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Yang says, as she clicks to start the next trailer.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **For this chapter I copy pasted some parts from the transcript found on the RWBY wiki but I don't know if the transcripts are in the public domain so if anyone has any evidence against it being so then please inform me. As it stands most of the transcripts are unsuitable for this Fic so I either have to write it myself or change the wording so as to contain things I want the Characters to react to.**


	5. Yellow Trailer

**A/N**

 **Wow, this is getting support faster than I thought.**

 **Please understand that you are meant to watch the relevant episode first and then use my notes as a reminder of the events that take place. (None of you do that though, let's be honest)**

 **This chapter really worries me since I took a big narrative risk during the latter half, don't hold back on telling me if you don't like it. I'm not looking for praise, I'm trying to make a good story and negative comments are very important for this.**

* * *

" **Yellow" Trailer**

"My turn." Yang says.

 **A quote fades in:**

 ** _Scathing eyes ask that we be symmetrical, one sided and easily processed. Yet every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is greater than its would be judgement._**

"What?" Ruby asks as she and everyone else is confused by this new quote.

"Do you have any idea what that means?" Blake asks Yang who gave an 'I don't know' shrug in response.

 **Yang is shown riding her motorcycle through the streets of Vale. She eventually stops in front of a club that is blasting music, a raven flies off an elevated road as she walks towards the club.**

"I swear that bird follows me." Yang points out.

"Qrow says it's just your imagination and he wouldn't lie us." Ruby rebukes. This is an argument they've had quite a few times over the years.

"Guys, let's not get off track here." Jaune says.

 **Her Silhouette is shown and comes into full view as she enters the door.**

"I knew it!" Yang exclaims "I knew this is what we would be watching!"

"What's it about?" Weiss inquires.

"Me beating up an information broker with strong ties to Vales underground crime network." Yang explains.

Ruby is shocked by this. "And you didn't invite me!?"

"It's not exactly, up your alley." Yang responds.

 **As she walks towards the bar the music starts playing lyrics.**

 ** _"Red like roses_** **_fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest."_**

"Hey, do I not get my own theme song." Yang complains, noticing the reused lyrics from the first trailer.

"My theme was more of a team RWBY song." Ruby mumbles to herself.

"How long until I get a theme?" Nora asks to no one in particular. "I bet it will be amazing, with trumpets and drums and maybe even a triangle for good measure."

 **Torchwick is having a conversation with a big man at the bar but soon leaves.**

"Torchwick was there!" Blake gasps. "Why didn't you try to stop him?!"

Yang responds. "I hadn't seen him on the news yet and I was focused on other things."

"We should still check to see what the other guy knows!" Blake urges.

"Already did, and trust me he's got no involvement other than hiring out some paid muscle." Yang says.

"So that's where I remember them from." Ruby claps her hands together "I knew I'd seen people dressed like that before, they were the ones with Torchwick during the dust robbery I stopped."

 **At the bar Yang decides to stand next to the big man who then waves off the two girls that are standing the other side of him.**

" **Strawberry Sunrise. No ice." Yang says to the bartender "Oh, and one of those little umbrellas."**

"Yang, have you been drinking?" Ruby glares at her sister.

"I never even got that drink." Yang complains, choosing not to mention her second visit. Ruby narrows her eyes in response deciding to let it go.

" **Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?" the big man says, turning to Yang.**

 **Yang giggles "Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?"**

"Junior?!" Nora laughs. "His names Junior. The tall man with a beard is called Junior!"

"Nora, don't be rude." Ren says. Keeping Nora out of trouble is a full time job for him at this point.

 **Junior responds. "So you know who I am. You got a name, sweetheart?"**

" **Yes, Junior, I've got several. But instead of sweetheart, you can just call me sir." Yang responds as she grabs his groin and squeezes it painfully causing Junior to cry out in pain comically.**

Jaune and Ren shuddered at the thought of it happening to them. Jaune decided to mention "That hurts a lot more than you think it does by the way."

"I was interrogating, if you're not willing to go to extremes to show how crazy you are then no one will give you the time of day." Yang says.

"How many people have you interrogated before?" Pyrrha asks. Wanting to know more about her friends.

"Dunno, I lose count." Yang responds.

" **People say you know everything" Yang interrogates bringing up her scroll with a picture of someone with long black hair. "Tell me where I can find her, and I'll let you go."**

"Who is that anyway?" Weiss asks.

"I'll tell you some other time." Yang puts it of. "It's not particularly important to what we're watching right now."

" **I've never seen her before, I swear." Junior responds in a high pitch and pained voice.**

" **Excuse me?" Yang snaps.**

" **I swear, sir!" by now his henchmen have begun to surround them.**

"Ha!" Nora laughs. "He sounds like a little girl."

 **Yang continues speaking with an air of confidence in her voice. "Hmm, looks like we have an audience. This must kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward..."**

"You sure you're not going a bit over the top?" Pyrrha asks, feeling slightly bad for the man.

"I told you, when it comes to the underground, you have to act a bit crazy or no one will give you the answers you're looking for." Yang replies.

" **Listen. Blondie, sir. If you want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let me go. Now!" Junior threatens, though he doesn't sound very threatening with his voice still high pitched.**

"What is he thinking?" Jaune says "Threatening you in that position."

"He's trying to act crazy, too bad it didn't work out for him." Yang supplies.

 **Yang decides to release junior who immediately give a sigh of relief. "You'll pay for that!" He puts on the sunglasses and walks towards the dance-floor.**

" **Oh Junior, I was just playing with you! Don't be so sensitive!" Yang follows behind him. "Come on, lets kiss and make up, okay?"**

"I still can't believe he actually fell for that." Yang chuckles at the memory.

 **Junior turns around to face her. "Huh? Uh, okay." He leans in to do so.**

 **When he gets close though he gets punched in the face and sent flying through a glass column and into a wall. This causes the audience to run away in terror.**

"Way to cause a scene." Weiss says.

"It was necessary" Yang defends herself. "I needed to get the civilians out of there before the fight started and this was the best way to do it without any of them getting hurt."

"She's right." Pyrrha agrees. "If she hadn't made the dance floor seem unsafe there is a chance people would try to take pictures instead of evacuating."

"Didn't know you thought things through that much." Ruby says to her sister.

"Hey, I think things through." Yang smacks Ruby on the head.

"Ow, Yang!" Ruby complains only to receive a grin from her sister.

 **Junior is shown of the verge of unconsciousness when a bottle falls on his head and knocks him out.**

 **Yang avoids the goons attacking her by jumping in the air _"Yellow_** **_beauty burns..."_**

 ** _"Gold."_** **Yang charges into the ground with a punch shaking the floor and knocking the nearby henchmen back.**

"So the singer thinks I'm a beauty huh?" Yang says. "Good to know."

"I don't think the singer is a real person." Ren counters "It's more likely a representation of how most people view you or a representation of your situation."

 **The entire room changes colour to red and Yang is shown with fire behind her as she charges in to attack Juniors cronies.**

 ** _"Mirror, tell me something…"_**

"Why has my song started playing?" Weiss wonders.

"Think were gonna hear Blake's as well?" Nora asks.

"Probably." Blake agrees.

 **Yang knocks anyone who comes close to her one after the other with a barrage of punches and the occasional kick.**

 **The DJ wearing a bear head starts firing at Yang but then gets taken down too.**

"Why is the DJ wearing a bear head?" Jaune asks.

"You would be surprised at how weird the costumes are at some of the other clubs I've visited." Yang counters.

"Like what?" Ruby asks, curious about what her sister gets up to when she goes out alone.

"Wouldn't want to ruin your imagination." Yang gives a sly response.

 **The two girls from before walk up to the dance floor and one asks "Melanie, who is this girl?"**

" **I dunno Miltia but we should teach her a lesson." The other girl, apparently called Melanie, responds.**

"Who are they?" Blake asks.

"Melanie and Miltia apparently." Yang answers. "They put up a good fight, but they were up against me. Sucks to be them."

 **Yang loads another belt of ammunition into her gauntlets and takes on the twins.**

 ** _"Born with, no life. Into subjugation…"_**

"And there's your theme." Yang looks over to Blake who nods her head, not really caring about it that much.

 **One of the twins uses her heels as a weapon and the other uses claws but despite this their teamwork is for naught as Yang eventually takes them both out.**

"They weren't very well trained." Yang explains. "They couldn't take a hit without staggering and that's the main reason they lost."

 **The holograms in the club suddenly turn off, new music starts playing and a spotlight shines on Junior, recovered from the hit he took earlier, he brings out his Bazooka "You're gonna pay for this."**

 **The music starts playing an unfamiliar tune.**

"Wait, we haven't heard this song yet." Ruby mentions.

"Yes! My own song!" Yang cheers for herself.

 **Junior fires, causing multiple rockets to come at Yang at various angles, but she dodges them all.**

 ** _"Come at me, and you'll see. I'm more than meets the eye."_**

"Yeah, that's more like it" Yang is clearly excited.

"Someone's happy." Weiss notes.

"I get my own theme song, of course I'm happy." Yang says.

"Well make sure you pay attention, wouldn't want you to miss anything." Weiss says.

"I've already been through it, no need to worry." Yang waves her off.

Weiss responds with a snobbish "hmth." then turns her eyes back to the screen.

 **Junior changes the bazooka into a club that he attempts to clobber her with.**

 **After taking some damage Yang rushes back into the action and hits him repeatedly, each hit stronger than the last until Junior is once again sent flying back.**

 ** _"I burn! Can't hold me now, you got nothing that can stop me."_**

"Ren! Are you writing this down? I wanna look through the lyrics later!" Yang yells, really getting into the music.

"I don't have any paper." Ren complains, opening his bag to look for a notebook.

 **Junior recovers much faster this time but his weapon is broken, and he is holding a wad of yellow hair in his other hand.**

"Oh dear." Ruby sighs, knowing what comes next.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asks.

"Well…"Ruby tries to answer but Yang interrupts.

"Don't ever mess with my hair." She warned with a serious voice.

 **When Yang sees this, she becomes so angry her eyes turn red and the energy shatters all the glass columns in the club.**

 **She runs up to Junior and hits him so hard this time he's sent out the window of the club and lays on the ground unconscious.**

"Noted." Jaune replies to Yang, _'I prefer to have all my limbs, thank you very much.'_

 **Yang jumps after him but finds a red cloaked girl she didn't expect to see.**

" **Yang?" Ruby asks, "Is that you?" she has only just arrived.**

" **Oh! Hey sis!" Yang replies, her eyes turning back to normal.**

" **What are you doing here?" Ruby asks.**

 **Yang sighs "It's a long story."**

"You told me you were just out with friends." Ruby accuses her sister.

"Yeah, erm. Sorry about that." Yang strokes her hair trying to avoid the conversation.

"So, this happened after the Red trailer, right?" Weiss asks.

"Yep." Ruby replies.

"Why do you ask?" Yang questions.

"Just establishing the timeline." Weiss responds.

 **The silhouettes appear again except this time there are no silhouettes and all the characters are in full view.**

"Next up team JNPR." Nora cheers.

 **Congratulations on finishing all of the trailers**

A message appears on the screen.

"Wait, what?" Jaune is surprised by this sudden development.

"What is this?" Blake asks.

 **By doing so you have agreed to watch the entirety of the videos I have prepared]**

"I didn't agree to anything." Weiss complains.

 **Since you will be here for an extended amount of time you will require extra living amenities in order to prevent you from feeling trapped**

"I don't think it can hear you." Yang deduces.

 **The door you came in now leads to a corridor with connections to other rooms, such as several training grounds, a library that has records of all the information you have already seen and a kitchen that has all the ingredients you could ever need, so you will never run out of pancakes**

"Yes!" Nora becomes delighted at the good news and is already trying to drag Ren to go make her some.

 **Also, you now have access to the menu that you can use to re-watch anything, watching for the first time must be done with everyone in the room though**

"That should be useful." Pyrrha smiles, knowing there would likely be things they need to see twice to really understand.

 **You will find that all your weapons have been transported to the training grounds**

"Crescent Rose!" Ruby jumps up from the sofa, glad she won't have to part with her greatest creation for too long.

 **This concludes the pre-recorded messages**

With that the screen switched to a menu where the only options were 'Trailers' and 'Volume 1' and the background was teams RWBY and JNPR standing together in battle positions.

The group of friends looked around at each other for a while, still processing what they had just seen until one person broke the silence.

"This means no trailers for team JNPR." Nora cries out in fake tears.

"Okay everyone." Ruby asks, "What did we find?"

"Our room seems to be exactly the same." Blake answers "Even the crease marks on my books are there, but the window won't open."

"Same here." Pyrrha supplies.

"I went to one of the training grounds and it's a lot like Goodwitch's arena." Yang says. "Our weapons were there too, so I brought them back with me."

"Yay." Ruby gushes, hugging her weapon like it was her child.

"The library was mostly empty." Weiss contributes. "But I did find some scrolls that have the music we've heard stored on them, so I decided to bring eight of them here."

"Thanks." Yang takes a scroll, already looking for her song.

"Me and Nora went to the kitchen." Ren says. "They have quite the selection of ingredients."

" _Burb,_ and I can confirm that it's all edible." Nora pats her stomach.

"So... there's no way out?" Blake asks. "We really are trapped here?"

"It would appear so." Weiss answers. "Though if the note was telling the truth, I have no reason to complain."

"Why not!" Blake asks.

"Because we can leave once we've watched the videos." Weiss explains. "As long as that's true, and if all our needs are met, it's probably worth the payoff."

"It still seems wrong to keep us trapped like this." Blake grumbles.

"So sis, what did you find?" Yang asks, trying to deflate the situation.

"I was looking over the TV to see what I could find, but all it does is let us re-watch old videos or start the next one. And I couldn't start the next one because not everyone was in the room." Ruby replies.

"So let's get watching." Nora jumps up and down on the sofa excitedly.

"Actually, I was kinda hoping we could settle down for the night." Jaune suggests "It's been a long day and most of us look pretty tired" he glanced around. Other than Nora, everyone nods in agreement.

"Until tomorrow." Ruby departs to her room with her teammates following behind her.

"Wait, first." Weiss grabs Yang's wrist and drags her to the side as their friends have all left the room "You haven't told me who that picture was of?"

"Oh, yea that, I guess I should explain." Yang responded giving a brief summary of her quest to find her biological mother.

"I see." Weiss sighed, sorry she brought up such a personal subject. "If you need any help, the Schnee Dust Company has plenty of connections who can help you."

"It's fine, at this point I've been looking for so long I'd rather not rely too much on someone else's resources to find out." Yang replies. _'Besides, I think I have a lead currently. Better to at least wait until I've exhausted it.'_

"If you're sure." Weiss smiled at how determined her teammate seemed as they decided to head back to their beds.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Especially long chapter**

 **I never plan to make my chapters a certain length and instead write everything I think is required for the fanfic to be entertaining.**

 **Still deciding on if the two parters from Volume one should be merged or kept separate, but I'm leaning towards doing them together.**

 **Sorry I didn't go into more detail with the fights but, the characters won't react to the fights so much and instead be focused on the plot, so I cut corners with fight scenes. If you want, you can write a more detailed version and sent it to me but otherwise the future should be about as detailed as this.**


	6. V1: C1: Ruby Rose

**A/N**

 **Comment: She did get the drink when she returned I think**

 **Answer: It's never clearly shown that she got the drink, but I like to think she did, so I edited the last chapter to match**

 **Comment: Ok what? Yang doesn't want to rely on someone else's resources? She literally threatened an info broker for finding her. How is that not someone else's resources?**

 **Answer: It's a matter of feeling like she earned it and self-pride, but to be honest the real reason is because I thought Weiss offering help would be a nice character moment, but it wouldn't fit the story if she used Atlas connections to find her. If you have a better explanation, please tell me, I am literally begging my viewers to help me make this story more coherent and entertaining**

" **Please help me" I beg the viewers**

" **Thank you for the chapter" they reply**

" **No! That's not what I want, say something negative instead"**

" **You're ugly and your breath smells terrible"**

" **You're not wrong, but what I actually want is some constructive criticism"**

"…"

"…"

" **Great chapter, looking forwards to the next one"**

" **Damn it!"**

 **But seriously that was very constructive criticism from a guest user and at this point it is also the meanest, so don't hold back, as long as you say what you don't like I will consider it as you helping me make this Fic as good as can be.**

* * *

When Ruby first woke up, she treated it like any other day. Check if anyone else is awake and get to the showers before Yang. But by the time she was out of the shower and dressed, she remembered what had happened the previous day.

"Wake up!" she yells, her teammates instantly doing so.

"What the hell sis!?" Yang complains. "You don't have to be so loud."

Ruby ignores her. "Does everyone remember what happened to us yesterday?"

"You mean with the weird room and the magic TV." Blake asks.

"That wasn't a dream?" Weiss is shocked.

"Only one way to check." Ruby opens the front door.

Peering through the door, instead of seeing one of Beacons hallways she is greeted to the same living room she saw yesterday, but without any of the snacks they had left. "It's real." Ruby tells her teammates, who leave their beds to check for themselves.

"I'll go talk with the others." Ruby tells her team, leaving them to have showers and get dressed.

Walking up to the door on the other side of the room Ruby knocks on the door-frame. "You guys up yet!?" She asks through the door.

Pyrrha is the one to open the door. "We're up, we were about to go get you." She says, putting on her circlet.

"Okay… Wait where are Jaune and Ren." Ruby notices they aren't in the room.

"Jaune's making us all breakfast, and Ren decided to go to the library to write down all the things we've seen." Pyrrha answers, entering the living room.

"Oh, I'll go tell the others about breakfast." Ruby says returning to her room.

* * *

Half an hour later everyone is sitting around the living room tables eating the various things Jaune has prepared.

"So Ren, Ruby said you've been writing everything down. How has that been going?" Yang asks.

"There's not too much I can say is important." Ren replies. "Most of it is things we already know."

"Ren's volunteered to take notes of everything we're gonna see." Nora explains in between devouring pancakes.

"The note said that we would eventually see the future right? You think we'll get to see my Semblance?" Jaune asks hopefully.

"I hope so, and even if we don't it's only a matter of time." Pyrrha tries to comfort him.

After they were all done eating they went to their seats ready for the next video.

"So it's volume one, right?" Blake asks holding the controller.

"Yep." Ruby replies, having already checked it the previous day. "After that there is another screen where you decide the chapter, but they are all greyed out except for the first one and the return button."

Blake pushes the button taking it to the new menu. "I can only see one option in this Volume. What does that mean?"

"I think the rest will be unlocked once we have seen up to that point." Jaune says.

"Let's get started" Nora cheers as Ren prepares his notebook.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 1: Ruby Rose**

Everyone looks at Ruby, wondering why the first chapter is named after her, she just shrugs in response.

 **The video starts off with a sequence of artistic animation, and so it fades in to an artistic view of Beacon Academy.**

 **An unknown female voice speaks. "Legends. Stories scattered through time."**

"Who is that?" Weiss asks.

"I've never heard that voice before." Ruby states knowing they would go to her first since the chapter is named after her.

"It could just be the narrator." Jaune points out. "A lot of shows like this have a narrator."

" **Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, by-products, of a forgotten past."**

 **Beacon fades out of view.**

"Perhaps she is a historic figure. If that line is anything to go by." Pyrrha conjectures.

Pyrrha's theory made sense to them so they all decided to accept it.

" **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful."**

 **A human silhouette is shown raising from the ground.**

"Born from dust?" Blake is confused by this line.

"She is probably just being figurative." Jaune suggests.

" **But he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction, the creatures of Grimm set their sights on man and all of his creations."**

 **Boarbatusk's and King Taijitu appear surrounding the man.**

"Does this mean Grimm existed before people?" Ruby questions, unsure as to what that would imply.

"Professor Oobleck would love to see this." Weiss comments. "Getting information from what may be considered a primary source."

"I think you mean Doctor." Ruby jokes.

" **These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void."**

 **The screen starts to fade to black, signalling humanities near downfall.**

" **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change."**

 **A light shines and gradually restores the screen to white.**

"That's uplifting." Nora said, then peers over to see what Ren has written.

" **And in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds."**

"Yeah, humans one, Grimm nil." Ruby cheers.

"Humans and Faunus." Blake reminds Ruby.

"Of course." Ruby clarifies.

 **A Dust crystal appears.**

" **This power was appropriately named 'Dust'."**

 **The crystal is lowered until it is in the reach of several human figures.**

"I never know how instrumental Dust was for the survival of humanity." Yang comments.

"You would be surprised." Weiss explains. "Practically all industrialisation is based around how to effectively use Dust to do a task, and when we consider the offensive abilities it grants us, it's not a stretch to say we wouldn't survive without it."

" **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilisation, and most importantly, life."**

 **The scene zooms out to show men shooting lightning, raising swords, and aiming rifles at the retreating beasts as a castle appears behind them.**

"The note said we would be watching the past and future, but I'm not sure this counts as either." Ren points out, still writing in his notepad.

 **The screen again zooms out to show a map of Remnant, with castles in each of the four major settlements of mankind.**

" **But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die."**

 **The castles then disappear in flashes of white and the map is lowered to show the scattered moon over a city at night.**

"That took a dark turn." Nora says.

"Wait, the artsy stuff stopped." Ruby notices. "That means that we're now watching real events."

" **And when they are gone... darkness will return"**

 **The perspective descends to show Roman Torchwick and six of Juniors henchmen heading down an alley from the shadows.**

"So Torchwick is involved in whatever this is warning us about." Blake is quick to accuse him.

"Likely, but he's in jail." Weiss recalls. "Could he be just a small part in something bigger?"

"We never caught the woman who sneaked into Beacon Tower." Yang comments.

"And I though we had saved the day by stopping Torchwick." Ruby complains.

"Lighten up." Jaune tries to cheer up Ruby. "You helped take a dangerous criminal off the streets. That must have at least delayed whatever they have planned."

 **Torchwick stops for a moment to puff his cigar. He then leads the henchmen down the street frightening nearby citizens.**

" **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength."**

"I'm starting to think that the mysterious voice might not be a good person." Pyrrha says.

"Yeah, it sounds like she's threatening someone. But who?" Ruby asks.

 **The shop Torchwick is headed to is revealed to be called 'From Dust Till Dawn'.**

"Oh!" Ruby exclaims. "That's the shop where I stopped the robbery."

"I guess that makes sense." Yang says to her sister. "That is where your life as a Huntress began if you look at it in a certain way."

 **The view shifts to inside the shop where Torchwick has just entered.**

 **Now the voice speaking is Ozpin's who responds to the earlier voice. "But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten."**

"Ozpin?" Several people say, surprised that the headmasters voice is heard.

"Does he know that other person?" Blake asks.

"Apparently, but if this is anything like the shows I've watched this could be a conversation that takes place in the distant past of future." Jaune explains.

"You think we should talk to him about this when we leave?" Ruby asks.

"We have much more to see and we haven't even started the future events." Ren decides to give them a piece of wisdom. "Deciding what we should do is best left for when we have enough of the facts to understand what will be beneficial."

"Someone's talkative today." Nora nudges her partner in the shoulder.

 **The view descends to reveal Ruby, wearing a hooded red cloak in the corner of the shop, reading a weapons magazine.**

" **Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."**

"Does Ozpin have something planned for you?" Weiss wonders, thinking about all the weird things he's done that it would explain.

"What makes you say that?" Ruby is slightly nervous at the idea of something being planned for her behind her back.

"Think about it. It explains why you got into this school two years early, why he made you leader and why he was willing to bend the rules by sending us to Mountain Glenn." Weiss replies, now more firm in her beliefs.

Blake supports this theory "He has been willing to overlook a lot of incidents of us breaking things and given us an unusual amount of support in our training."

"Doesn't he do that for everyone?" Ruby counters.

"I have found it odd that our teams get significantly more time booked for the training grounds." Jaune says, having done everything he can to squeeze in extra training.

 **Torchwick impolitely flicks his cigar over the display case. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" He asks the elderly shopkeeper.**

 **One of the henchman points his gun at the shopkeeper.**

"Please tell me you didn't let any of the henchmen escape?" Yang says to Ruby.

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Ruby confirmed proudly.

" **Please! Just take my Lien and leave!" The shopkeeper begs, with his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.**

" **Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money." Roman turns to the henchmen. "Grab the Dust"**

"That's certainly, odd behaviour for a thief." Pyrrha is confused at the refusal to take money.

"It's part of his strategy to steal more Dust." Blake explains, "By letting them keep their money, he gives them a chance to try and open the shop again. This leads to the Schnee Dust Company sending more Dust over to Vale that he can then steal."

Weiss nodded at Blake's assessment, her father would never try to compensate for the stolen goods unless there was profit to be made.

 **The henchman opens a case and remove several cylinders, which they use to take Dust from the tube containers on the walls.**

 **One of them opens an empty case in front of the shopkeeper and demands. "Crystals. Burn. Uncut." He gestures to put them inside the case.**

"I would hate to be put in a position like that." Yang feels empathy for the old man. "Having to rely on pleasing a criminal to survive."

 **As one henchman goes for another tube he notices Ruby standing in the corner reading, so he unsheathes his sword. "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em."**

 **Ruby takes no notice as she is listening to music on her headphones.**

"Someone needs to work on their spacial awareness." Weiss doesn't miss the opportunity to berate her partner.

"Hey, I've improved since coming to Beacon." Ruby protests. "Besides they had an article on the new sniper rounds, I was excited to read it."

"That doesn't excuse letting some dangerous men get so close to you without noticing." Weiss counters. "If there is one thing that Professor port has taught us then it's to never let down your guard."

"You actually listen to those so-called lectures?" Nora gasps, she usually uses it as an opportunity to daydream.

"You would be surprised at how much useful knowledge he gives." Weiss lectures, choosing not to mention that even she considers half of what he's said to be a complete waste of time.

" **Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something!?" The henchman turns Ruby around lowering her hood to reveal the headphones to him.**

" **Huh." Ruby responds unaware of the situation she is in.**

"And now you should respond much quicker to the situation, realising the circumstances and acting accordingly." Weiss continues her lecture.

"Who are you, Miss Goodwitch? Lay off!" Yang defends her sister.

 **The man signals for Ruby to take of her headphones and she does. "Yes?" she asks.**

" **I said, put your hands in the air, now!"**

" **Are you... robbing me?"**

" **Yes!"**

" **Oooohhh…" Ruby narrows her eyes.**

"Commence butt kicking in 3…2…1" Nora jokes.

 **Torchwick is waiting for his men to finish the heist when a "Hey!" and "Hyah!" are heard, and the threatening henchman flies past him. Torchwick calmly motions for another to handle Ruby.**

 **The new henchman raises his gun at Ruby "Freeze!" he demands.**

"If he were smart, he would have fired at you instantly." Yang gave her take on the situation.

"It wouldn't have changed anything." Ruby says.

 **Cut to outside the shop, where the henchman and Ruby crash through the window.**

 **Torchwick and the remaining men peer out the broken window to see Ruby's weapon transform into a giant scythe.**

 **Ruby spins Crescent Rose around and into the ground as a declaration that she plans on stopping the would-be thieves.**

"You were right about how a sense of style makes you seem more confident." Jaune compliments Ruby. "It makes you look like you know what you're doing and have the skills that you can show off while doing so."

"Hey! I know what I'm doing." Ruby is offended by what Jaune is implying.

"I think what Jaune means is that you let other people know that, and that in turn helps inspire hope." Pyrrha defends her partner, trying to prevent an argument.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I meant." Jaune truthfully agrees.

" **Okayyy..." Torchwick looks at his remaining four men. "Get her!"**

 **They attack but as the first one swings his sword Ruby uses her scythe as a pivot to dodge, then swings around to kick him in the face.**

 **As the next man approaches she turns in a circle so fast the back of her weapon hits him, sending him flying.**

 **The next henchman tries to get near but is beaten into the ground in one fluid motion.**

"Did they even have their aura unlocked? You beat three of them in as many seconds." Yang asks.

"I think they did." Ruby tries to remember. "Maybe they weren't experienced in using it to negate attacks, so they wasted their aura in an instant."

"You would need a lot of aura to overcome a disadvantage like that." Blake adds, not noticing Jaune silently promise himself to practice his aura efficiency.

 **The final one fires his gun at Ruby who dodges around in short bursts getting closer until she launches the man upwards.**

 **Ruby then spins on the top of her scythe so when the henchman falls into her range he is instantly knocked out.**

 **Torchwick looks at the results of the fight. "You were worth every cent. Truly, you were." He sarcastically remarks dropping his cigar and crushing it with his cane as sirens can be heard in the background.**

"That explains why Torchwick never went back to Junior to get more men." Yang remarks.

"He probably thought that using the White Fang would be better since they actually think what they're doing is right." Weiss says. "Never underestimate a person who thinks they're in the right."

Blake becomes uncomfortable at the mention of this, but decided not to say anything.

 **Torchwick then turns to Ruby. "Well Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around."**

" **I'm afraid this…" the base of his cane opens to create a reticle. "Is where we part ways."**

"Do you think he made his own weapon? I've never seen one like that before." Pyrrha asks.

"More likely he paid someone to have it custom made." Ruby explains. "There are a lot of people willing to do so without keeping any records if you pay them enough."

 **Torchwick unleashes a red blast at Ruby, who fires at the ground launching herself over the explosion.**

 **When she lands and looks around, Roman isn't there. After further searching she finds him climbing up a ladder on a nearby building.**

 **The shopkeeper walks out the door, so Ruby asks, "You okay if I go after him?"**

 **The shopkeeper gives a short "Uh huh", and Ruby sets off.**

 **Torchwick makes it to the roof, with Ruby high-flying again and landing right behind him.**

" **Hey!" Ruby yells at Torchwick, thinking she has him cornered**

 **Torchwick stops at the edge "Persistent." he grumbles annoyed at how a little girl has ruined the entire heist.**

"How did you lose him?" Blake asks, as far as she can tell there should be now way for Torchwick to get away from her superior speed.

"He had an escape plan prepared." Ruby explains, motioning for them to continue watching.

 **Ruby readies to fight him, but a getaway Bullhead rises up and opens the hatch to allow Torchwick to get inside, which he does.**

" **End of the line, Red." Torchwick holds up a red Dust crystal that he then throws at Ruby's feet.**

"What a waste of good Dust." Weiss says.

"He's a criminal." Jaune points out. "In his mind he can always just steal more."

 **Torchwick then uses his cane to fire at the crystal. Just before the hit lands a figure jumps in from an unknown location shielding Ruby.**

 **Torchwick starts laughing. "Whoa-ho-ho-ho!" But then stops when he notices that his attack was unsuccessful. "Huh?"**

 **Glynda Goodwitch is shown standing in front of Ruby, casting a circle of protection over them with her wand.**

"This isn't how you told me it happened." Yang raises an eyebrow at her sister.

"Okay, fine. I exaggerated a bit." Ruby confesses. "But the important parts were still there."

 **Goodwitch waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple at the aircraft causing Torchwick to stumble around the vehicle.**

 **He eventually makes it to the cockpit where a woman dressed in a red mini dress with yellow designs is piloting, however her face is off camera, so she can't be properly identified.**

"That's her, that's the woman!" Ruby points at the screen "Goodwitch said she's probably also the one who sneaked Beacon Tower."

"Everyone pay attention." Weiss instructed. "This is the first important scene and I don't want us to miss anything."

Both teams are paying full attention, with Ren writing down every detail he can get.

" **We got a Huntress!" Torchwick informs the mysterious women who he then trades places with.**

 **Goodwitch glows purple for a moment and aims another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet.**

 **Torchwick pilots the Bullhead but is confused by the cloud above him.**

 **With a flick of Goodwitch's wand, large jagged hail starts falling that pummels the jet and even breaks through the window, narrowly missing Roman's head.**

 **The mysterious woman is shown with only her feet in view, black glass high-heels and a jewelled anklet on her right leg.**

 _'Glass heels and an anklet.'_ Ruby notices. _'Have I seen someone like that before.'_ She tries to recall, but to no avail.

 **Now the woman's entire body can be seen but her face is obscured by the shadows, making it impossible to identify her.**

 **The unknown woman's arms and chest light up like fire, aiming a burst of energy at Professor Goodwitch.**

"That's definitely her. I remember the clothes lighting up when she attacks." Ruby tells them.

 **Goodwitch blocks the attack but bits splatter around her and with a raise of the other woman's arm the ground beneath Glynda turns to a blazing circle that eventually explode upwards.**

"So that's how she attacks." Pyrrha says. "But what are the conditions for her to do so?"

"I think Ironwood said that her attacks are mostly the application of Dust." Ruby mentions. "And that she has Dust woven into her clothes."

 **Goodwitch backflips out of the explosions way and gathers the rubble to the shape of a spear that she fires at the Bullhead.**

 **The mystery woman fires at the spear with her hand, but Glynda doesn't relent so Torchwick has to tilt the aircraft to avoid taking too much damage.**

 **The wreckage separates and reshapes into more arrows that encircle the jet, but the woman summons several glowing rings around herself that expand and destroy the shards.**

"She's definitely powerful." Jaune says. "If we do end up fighting her then it would be best if we did it as a team."

"Yeah! Team JNPR and RWBY working together!" Nora cheers. "She won't stand a chance."

 **Ruby, finally acting, reverts her scythe into its rifle form to fire at the woman, who blocks each shot and creates several blazing circles around her two opponents.**

 **Thinking quickly Goodwitch telekineticly pushes Ruby and rolls herself out of the explosion's radius. Unfortunately when she looks up she sees the hatch close and the craft fly away.**

 **Ruby looks to Goodwitch. "You're a huntress. Can I have your autograph?" Putting on a pleading, awe-stricken face.**

"Ha!" Yang and Nora laugh at Ruby's actions while everyone else grins or snickers.

"Stop it." Ruby mumbles.

 **The scene cuts to a different setting and Ruby's amazed face turns to one of shame as Goodwitch, with a tablet computer, paces around the table Ruby is seated at, right underneath a bright light in the otherwise dark room.**

" **I hope that you realise that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger." Goodwitch lectures.**

" **They started it!" Ruby protests.**

"Yeah, they can't tell you not to do the right thing." Yang defends her sister.

"While I agree. The argument she is making is that you started a fight and if you weren't careful some bystanders could be hurt." Weiss counters.

" **If it were up to me, you'd be sent home... With a pat on the back..." She notices Ruby's smile "...And a slap on the wrist." She slams her riding crop on the table making Ruby jump in fear.**

" **But... there is someone here who would like to meet you." Goodwitch finishes moving out the way so that Ruby can see a man in green come through the doorway, holding a mug and a plate of cookies.**

" **Ruby Rose." Ozpin leans in to look at her face. "You... have silver eyes."**

"Is that… important?" Jaune asks, tilting his head.

"I've never seen anyone else with silver eyes other than my mom." Ruby explains. "So he was probably interested in how rare it is."

" **Uh, um." Ruby struggles for a response.**

" **So! Where did you learn to do this?" Ozpin gestures with his head at a scroll showing Ruby's fighting.**

" **S-Signal Academy." Ruby stutters.**

" **They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" Ozpin questions.**

 _'They didn't teach anything like that at my old school.'_ Pyrrha thinks, interested in how Ruby found someone to teach her.

" **Well, one teacher in particular." Ruby replies.**

" **I see..." He puts the cookies on the table in front of Ruby. She tentatively picks one up, eats it in a single bite, and then, not seeing any rebuttal, shovels the rest into her mouth.**

"Slow down sis. The cookies aren't going anywhere." Yang makes fun of Ruby.

 **Ozpin continues. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow..."**

"Wow, scythes must be very rare if the headmaster has only seen one other." Jaune is surprised by this.

"It's half the reason I had so much trouble making Crescent Rose." Ruby explains. "It was really hard to get the parts."

"And by the time you had them you decided to go all out on the design." Yang teases.

 **Ruby mumbles through her full mouth, she then swallows and wipes her mouth, embarrassed. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like— Hooowaaah! Witchaaaa!" Ruby makes a complete fool of herself.**

Ruby gets really embarrassed at how everyone is seeing her act.

" **So I've noticed."** **Ozpin** **places his cup on the table as he leans in, then sits down opposite Ruby. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"**

" **Well... I want to be a Huntress." Ruby explains, now acting seriously.**

" **You want to slay monsters?" Ozpin asks.**

"There's more to being a Huntress than fighting the Grimm." Blake reminds Ruby.

"I know." Ruby replies. "My family taught me that a long time ago."

" **Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I'm going to apply to Beacon!"**

 **Ruby's voice picks up, getting faster and faster. "You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress cause I wanna help people. And my parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!" She giggles. "I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know?"**

"The police don't have enough freedom to protect those who need it most." Ren says.

"Huntresses and Hunters for the win" Nora blurts.

 **Goodwitch and Ozpin study her.**

" **Do you know who I am?" Ozpin asks.**

" **You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon."**

 **Ozpin smiles. "Hello."**

" **Nice to meet you." Ruby replies.**

 _'A bit late for introductions.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **You want to come to my school?" Ozpin asks.**

" **More than anything." Ruby replies.**

 **Ozpin exchanges glances with Goodwitch, who shows her disapproval with a Hmmph before he turns back to Ruby. "Well okay."**

 **Ruby smiles, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.**

"I believe this is the first case of someone skipping two whole years to get into Beacon." Weiss tells them.

"Ozpin must know something we don't if he's willing to go so far." Blake adds.

"Hey. I earned my place at Beacon" Ruby protests.

"Even so, he wouldn't do this without an especially good reason." Weiss states.

 **The scene changes again as Yang Xiao Long tackles her sister in a hug aboard the large airship to Beacon, crushing the air out of her.**

" **Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang exclaims.**

"I remember this." Yang watches the events "It was our first day at Beacon."

 **Ruby struggles for air. "Please stop." She uses what air remains.**

 **Yang releases her sister. "But I'm so proud of you!"**

" **Really sis, it was nothing." Ruby not wanting to cause a scene with other people nearby.**

"And now you get embarrassed." Weiss says.

" **What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees." Yang is really excited for her sister.**

" **I don't want to be the 'bee's knees', okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees!" Ruby complains "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."**

" **What's with you? Aren't you excited?" Yang asks.**

" **Of course I'm excited... I just..." Ruby sighs. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."**

 **Yang goes over and gives her sister a one-armed hug. "But you are special."**

Pyrrha watches with intent, wanting to know how best to interact with people. Despite what everyone else thinks, she didn't have many friends before coming to Beacon, so she was determined to be the best friend she could be.

 **Over the speakers a reporter is heard. "The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities."**

 **The girls' attention is drawn to the newscast on Vale News Network playing nearby, currently showing Torchwick's mug shot.**

" **If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa."**

"Why contact the Police department when everyone knows it would require Hunters to catch him?" Ruby asks.

"The police forward that information to the relevant hunter, that way hunters don't have to deal with the large amount of useless of false information." Weiss explains.

 **The mugshot changes to Lisa Lavender, a reporter.** " **Thank you, Cyril. In other news..." A photo of Faunus demonstrators holding signs saying: 'WE ARE NOT ANIMALS!' appears. "This Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony." This is followed by an image of the logo of the White fang, a growling red wolf's head with three scratch marks.**

 _'I wanted to attend that protest to try and prevent a riot.'_ Blake thinks. _'But I was worried that Adam would have people there looking for me.'_

" **The once peaceful organisation has now disrupted..." but the news gets cut off and a hologram of Goodwitch replaces it.**

" **Hello, and welcome to Beacon!" Goodwitch greets the new applicants.**

" **Who's that?" Yang asks.**

" **My name is Glynda Goodwitch." Goodwitch introduces herself.**

" **Oh." Yang has her question immediately answered.**

"Ask and thou shall receive." Nora quotes.

" **You are among a privileged few who have received the honour of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." Goodwitch gives her announcement and the hologram disappears.**

" **Oh, wow!" Ruby looks out at the view while many others marvel at it at the same time.**

"Urgh." Jaune moans, remembering what the trip was like for him. _'I really hope we don't have to see that.'_

" **Look, you can see Signal from up here!" Ruby says. "I guess home isn't too far after all!"**

" **Beacon's our home, now." Yang puts her hand over Ruby's shoulder.**

"It certainly feels homelier than my home in Atlas." Weiss admits. _'Here I have friends.'_ She decides not to say the last part out loud.

 **The two hear groaning to the side of them and as they look over they see Jaune hunched over and looking ill as he runs to the back of the ship.**

"Damn it." Jaune watches himself in pity. "Let it be known that I have gotten much better at dealing with motion sickness."

"While I can't say it's the best introduction." Pyrrha admits. "I do think it's good that we will finally get to see the members of JNPR."

"How did you travel before you came to Beacon?" Blake asks Jaune.

"I'm usually okay as long as I don't have to look outside." Jaune explains. "But the airship had very large windows and I wanted to see what the big commotion was about."

" **Well... I guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang rolls her eyes**

" **It was a nice moment while it lasted." Ruby says**

"This seems longer than the trailers." Yang says. "Any way to check the length?" She looks to Blake, who has the controller.

"Let me check." Blake replies.

After some time messing with the remote they concluded that the only buttons that worked during a first viewing are pause and resume.

"It probably won't be that much longer." Ruby guesses.

 **The screen zooms out to show the ship approaching Beacon across a large body of water, but their voices can still be heard.**

" **I wonder who we're gonna meet! I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy." Ruby says.**

"Hey!" Jaune complains. "Don't judge me so early."

"What do you expect after a first impression like that?" Ruby counters. "I didn't have much to go on."

" **Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!" Ruby exclaims.**

" **Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" Yang is on repeat.**

" **Get-Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby sounds like she is trying to keep her distance.**

"Yang can I say again that I am so sorry." Jaune apologises.

"Don't sweat it." Yang accepts the apology. "It's in the past."

 **The screen fades to black but music starts in the background.**

 **Ruby is shown in front of her mother's grave with her hood up.**

"This is new." Weiss comments. Her and everyone else is surprised at the scene.

 ** _"They see you as small and helpless, they see you as just a child."_** **A figure appears in front of her dressed similarly but in white and her legs are faded.**

 _'Mom?'_ Ruby thinks. Mind reeling at what this means.

"Is that...?" Pyrrha asks.

"Yeah." Yang answers, knowing they would come to the correct conclusion.

 ** _"Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild."_** **The figure fades into white petals as the moon is shown doing the same.**

"If I were to guess then I would say that this is all symbolism." Blake proposes.

 ** _"Prepare for your greatest moment, prepare for your finest hour"_**

 **Weiss stands alone in a spotlight.**

 **Blake stands on a tree branch but vanishes as another branch passes.**

 **Yang is on her motorbike.**

"This must be an opening scene." Jaune assumes.

"But isn't this the end of the chapter?" Blake counters.

"Openings are sometimes placed at the end of the first chapter." Jaune explains. "It doesn't make sense to me either."

 **A hoard of Grimm are shown with a nevermore flying forwards**

 **Torchwick and the henchmen are shown but then fades to the mystery woman with her face still concealed and two similarly concealed people at her side.**

"So the woman has two sidekicks I guess?" Ruby supposes.

"Why are the most important parts obscured?" Weiss growls in frustration.

 **Team RWBY stand in a circle with weapons drawn to face the shadows that surround them.**

 **A blast appears in between them that they quickly dodge and charge in to fight the new shadow.**

 **Jaune stands in front of the statue of mankind conquering Grimm.**

 **Pyrrha appears putting her hand on Jaune's shoulder as the other members of team JNPR appear next to them.**

Jaune smiles seeing his team supporting him. _'With friends like these, I'm sure we can handle whatever comes our way.'_

 **Ozpin and Goodwitch stand on the balcony of an airship.**

"This proves that Ozpin is somehow involved in whatever this is supposed to warn us about." Weiss says.

"He could be trying to prevent whatever the mystery woman is planning." Blake points out.

"Of course, that is most likely. I just said he was involved." Weiss tells them.

 ** _"In time, your heart will open minds."_** **The members of Ream RWBY appear in order, each with their emblem as a background.**

"Okay. We get it. This is all about team RWBY." Nora relents, frustrated at the idea of being a side character.

 _'I guess I should just be glad to be important.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I may not be the hero of this story. But that doesn't mean I can't be a hero.'_

 ** _"A story will be told."_** **Ozpin and Goodwitch are standing in front of Beacon, the scene zooms out to reveal team JNPR, and then zooms out more to reveal team RWBY.**

 ** _"Victory is in a simple soul."_** **Ruby spins her weapon striking her signature pose in front of the moon.**

 **The video ends.**

"Victory is in a simple soul." Pyrrha quotes. "That sounds like what Ozpin said."

"This is just a shot in the dark but, what if the lyrics connect to the first volume somehow?" Jaune proposes.

"It would fit with the whole TV setting this seems to have." Ruby ponders the idea.

"Can we continue watching?" Ren asks. "I would prefer that we get past the things that have already happened as quickly as possible. We will have time for theorising then."

Blake agrees and selects the next chapter.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Mysterious unknown voice - possibly a historical figure

Man born from dust?

Grimm before humans

Near downfall of humanity in the past

Dust saved us

Voice speaks of inevitable downfall

Torchwick involved?

Voice is bad?

Ozpin knows the voice

Something planned for Ruby or RWBY

CCT woman:

Red mini dress with yellow designs

Tattoo on back

Dark heels

Anklet on right foot

Arms and chest light up

Uses Dust?

Dust woven into clothes

Very powerful

Can block bullets

Silver eyes?

Qrow has strong connection to Ozpin?

White Fang continuing without Torchwick?

Ruby's mom was involved?

Bloody evolution

Victory is in a simple soul

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This was so long. I don't think I would be able to release this fast without the transcripts.**

 **You may find some parts where the teams don't talk for a long period. This is because there is little to talk about and I'm running out of idle conversations. If you can suggest something, then please do.**

 **The bit about aura efficiency is made up by me. But I think it well explains why Jaune has his aura deplete so fast despite having a lot of it.**

 **I re-read the first five chapters and saw so many mistakes. You people must have seen them so why didn't you tell me. I feel betrayed.**

 **I suspect that most of you skip the author notes so if you aren't then if you review then end it with the code 11037 so I can get an idea.**


	7. V1: C2: The Shining Beacon

**A/N**

 **I am much prouder of how this chapter came out than the last one. I attribute this to all the helpful comments I have received. So remember if you have something bad to say then say it and explain it.**

 **You may be happy to know that this covers both chapter 2 and 3 of RWBY since they are both short and meant to be viewed as one part. As a result of this I had to remove one of the ending themes however it will instead be featured in a chapter that doesn't originally have one.**

 **In response to comments:**

 **They can hear the songs whenever they like as soon as they have reached that point.**

 **When it comes to people telling me to do certain things in the story, if I do them then that means I would have done it anyway if I had thought of it, you are just giving me reminders.**

 **I have looked over the chapters adding full stops (periods) and fixing some of the capitalisation issues however this takes time and as a fanfic reader I much prefer when people post new chapters rather than fixing errors.**

 **I am looking forward to volume 3, that is when things should really pick up, also at the volume 1 post credit scene.**

 **Looking back, Pyrrha's characterisation is weaker than the others in this fanfic. I have tried to fix this while doing my error checks. The main theme behind her should be someone who is a talented fighter that had few friends before Beacon so she tries really hard to make everyone get along (this should make the volume 3 finale even more heart wrenching) but she is very polite when she speaks because she doesn't want to offend anyone. This is my character analysis of her from the show, tell me if you think I'm wrong in some way or that I missed a key detail.**

 **I have decided to use present tense from now on. Tell me if you see anything that contradicts this.**

 **If you're looking for the canonical order I will be releasing in, it is now on my profile.**

 **Since I know eventually someone will ask I will say now that post credit scenes will be included with the exception of Volume 2 (because that was retconned)**

 **And thanks to everyone who commented using the code. It means a lot. Special thanks to the person who knew the reference and reminded me of one of the better OST's.**

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon**

"So this will be about Beacon?" Yang wonders.

 **The opening ends to a view of several ships carrying students and docking at the entrance of the school.**

 **As soon as one lands, Jaune emerges and goes over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he loses his lunch.**

Jaune's head dips in shame and Pyrrha tries to comfort him. "Everyone here knows how you improve, so don't beat yourself up over it."

"That's not the part I'm worried about." Jaune doesn't go into any more detail.

 **Ruby and Yang walk out of the ship and head down the paved path to the front of the school where they are amazed by the size of Beacon.**

 **The perspective zooms out to show Beacon in its entirety.**

 **"The view from Vale's got nothing on this!" Yang comments.**

"I can't help but wonder why we have to see this?" Weiss says. "We already know everything and it's not as if it relates to anything important."

All eyes turn to Jaune.

"Hey, don't look at me." He responds. "I don't know everything about this. I've just seen some shows that use a similar format."

 **Ruby turns starry eyed pointing at the people nearby. "Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!"**

 **Yang pulls Ruby by the hood as she starts to drift of. "Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!"**

" **Just weapons?" Ruby acts offended by Yang's comment. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"**

"You can tell a lot about a person by the weapon they use and how they carry it." Pyrrha mentions, wanting to contribute something like Jaune does.

 **"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" Yang tries to calm her sister down.**

 **Ruby pridefully transforms her weapon into its scythe form. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..."**

"I'll remember to get you a pet long-sword for your birthday." Blake jokes.

"That's boring." Nora remarks. "We should get her a crossbow that shoots explosions!"

"I get it. Stop making fun of me." Ruby complains.

 **Yang playfully pushes her sister's hood down over her face. "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?"**

 **Ruby puts her hood back. "But... why would I need friends if I have you?"**

 **"Well..." Several figures appear behind Yang. "Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!" They rush past Ruby.**

"What happened to those friends of yours?" Pyrrha asks.

"Most of them failed the initiation and the rest I just grew distant from." Yang explains.

 _'I hope that never happens to us.'_ Pyrrha thinks to herself.

 **Ruby gets spun around by the people rushing past making her go dizzy-eyed. "Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" But Yang is to far away to hear. "I don't know what I'm doing..."**

"How could you leave me alone like that?" Ruby demands to know.

"Are you still mad about that." Yang asks, only to be met with a glare. "I'm sorry, I thought it would be a good experience for you."

"We should probably forgive each other for anything we see ourselves do in the past." Jaune points out, wanting to make things easier on himself for the future.

"Of course you would say that." Weiss comments.

 **Ruby falls backwards into a luggage cart, sending cases flying. Someone stands over her in white heels.**

 **"What are you doing?!" Weiss berates Ruby.**

 **"Uh, sorry!" Ruby apologises.**

 **"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?" Weiss complains.**

"You want to do what Jaune said now?" Ren asks.

Weiss turns slightly red. _'I can't have been that bad.'_

 **"Uuuhhhh..." Ruby has no idea how to respond so she picks up one of the fallen briefcases.**

 **"Give me that!" Weiss snatches the briefcase from Ruby, opening it to reveal several Dust bottles. "This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"**

Weiss looks at herself in shock. _'Did I really act like that?'_ At the time she thought she was being reasonable, but looking at it now she finds it hard not to admit she was being a bitch.

 **"Uuuhhhh..." Ruby awkwardly responds**

 **"What are you, brain-dead?" Weiss barely gives Ruby a chance to speak. "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!" She shakes a bottle in front of Ruby releasing some of the Dust.**

This shocks Weiss even more. How didn't she notice the Dust being released? Was she the one responsible for the explosion?

 **Ruby starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face.**

" **Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!" Weiss doesn't notice the Dust she is continuously released in Ruby's face.**

"This could end badly." Ren observes. Causing Ruby and Weiss to shiver.

 **Ruby can't hold it anymore and sneezes setting of the Dust and creating a large fireball that engulfs Weiss while shooting out ice and lightning.**

"So it was your fault!" Yang yells angrily at Weiss for blaming Ruby for something that she obviously caused herself.

"I…Well…I don't…" Weiss stutters her words trying to think of what to say.

"You had best make it up to her." Yang demands.

"Yang please, Jaune was right, we should overlook these things." Ruby tries to calm her sister down.

Weiss finally collects herself and decides to say it. "I'm sorry Ruby."

This shocks most of them. Weiss isn't a person who apologises, at least not with an audience.

"Are you feeling alright?" Yang asks.

"Hey, I know how to apologise." Weiss puts up her noble demeanour again.

"That's the Ice Queen we know and love." Nora jokes.

 _'I need to improve my social abilities.'_ Weiss decides, ignoring Nora.

 **The bottle Weiss had been holding flies over the courtyard and at some new persons boots.**

 **This person is Blake, who picks up the bottle and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.**

 _'I remember this._ ' Blake thinks _'I was worried that putting up with a Schnee would make life at Beacon unbearable.'_ She is very happy that she was proved wrong.

 **Weiss is now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears. "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" She scolds Ruby.**

 **"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby touches her index fingers together apologetically.**

 **"Ugh, you complete dolt!" Weiss snaps. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"**

 _'What did I do to deserve this?_ ' Weiss looks down at her lap, hoping everyone else would spare her another lecture on how she acts. To her surprise, they do.

 **"Well, I-I..." Ruby tries to explain.**

 **"This isn't your ordinary combat school." Weiss interrupts "It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!" She crosses her arms and turns her head away.**

 **Ruby is finally fed up. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"**

 _'At least I stood up for myself in the end.'_ Ruby is proud of herself.

 **"It's heiress, actually." Blake enters the scene. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."**

 **Weiss smiles smugly. "Finally! Some recognition!"**

 **"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces and questionable business partners." Blake turns the entire conversation around.**

Blake looks at past Weiss with accusation before remembering what she said in Mountain Glenn.

 _'I know what my fathers company is like.'_ Weiss thinks. _'And I've decided I will change it.'_

 **"Wha- How dare…" Weiss gets angry as Ruby chuckles at this. "The nerve of... Ugh!"**

 **Weiss gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow.**

"You have servants?" Nora asks. "Do they open doors and do your homework for you?"

"Of course not." Weiss replies. "As soon as they had brought my belongings to the school they were sent back to Atlas."

 **Ruby calls to the storming Weiss. "I promise I'll make this up to you!" She then sighs. "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day."**

" **So, what's…" Ruby turns to see Blake walking off as well. She then collapses to the ground on her back. "Welcome to Beacon." She has no enthusiasm as she says these words.**

 _'I shouldn't have left Ruby alone.'_ Yang thinks. _'I know she has trouble socialising. How could I choose to let her go through this?'_

 **Someone's shadow appears over her. "Hey... I'm Jaune." Jaune introduces himself.**

"Thanks Jaune, I needed someone to help me back on my feet." Ruby smiles.

"It was nothing." Jaune is feeling good about himself for doing the right thing.

 **Ruby takes his hand. "Ruby." She replies, standing up. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"**

Suddenly Jaune feels less good about himself.

 **The scene changes to Ruby and Jaune walking alongside a pond.**

 **"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune tries to defend his dignity.**

 **Ruby laughs cheerfully. "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."**

 **"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" Jaune counters.**

"Crater face, I have got to use that in the future." Yang teases.

"Yang!" Ruby whines.

 **"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby complains.**

" **Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" Jaune tries to act cool.**

"How did that work out for you?" Yang asks sarcastically.

"Can we just get past this bit?" Jaune starts fiddling with his fingers.

"I think it sounds lovely." Pyrrha comforts her partner.

Jaune smiles at this. "Thanks Pyrrha."

 **Ruby is sceptical. "Do they?"**

 **"They will!" Jaune quickly responds, destroying the cool façade he was going for. "Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind." He decides mentioning his mother would be digging himself a bigger hole.**

 **Ruby chuckles, then pauses not knowing how to continue the conversation. She decides to try and bring it to a subject she is comfortable with. "So… I got this thing!" She pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground.**

"What did I tell you about introducing yourself with your weapon?" Weiss lectures.

"That it intimidates them and is very rude." Ruby recites back.

 **"Whoa!" Jaune jumps back in shock. "Is that a scythe?"**

 **"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby says, now completely confident in herself.**

 **"A-wha...?" Jaune doesn't understand Ruby talking too quickly.**

 **Ruby cocks her weapon, smiling. "It's also a gun."**

 **"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune says.**

"Almost every weapon I've seen is also a gun." Blake comments.

"It makes sense, that way you can fight from a distance while your enemy charges forward." Pyrrha explains.

Jaune looks over his shoulder to Crocea Mors leaning against a wall, the only weapon without any ranged capabilities.

 **"So what've you got?" Ruby is curious.**

 **"Oh! I, uh..." Jaune unsheathes his blade. "I got this sword!"**

 **Ruby looks at it. "Ooooohh!"**

 **"Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" Jaune gets his scabbard, raises his arm and expands the metal into his defence.**

"I've been thinking about this for a while but…" Jaune asks. "Should I change weapon? We all know Crocea Mors is not the most impressive weapon."

Ruby starts contemplating interesting designs but Pyrrha answers first. "You have put a lot of training into that sword. If you swapped for something else, you would be unfamiliar with the weight. But more importantly it's best to have a weapon you feel you can trust, that's why most of the best Hunters made their own weapons."

"So I'm pretty much screwed." Jaune summarises.

"No…That's not…" Pyrrha struggles to explain.

" **So, what do they do?" Ruby asks while touching the shield.**

 **Jaune's shield suddenly retracts off his arm and he has to fumble about for a bit trying to hold it properly.**

 **Finally back to normal Jaune answers. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..."**

 **"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby deduces.**

 **"Yeah, it does..." Jaune responds dejectedly.**

"It's so you can hold it with you during daily life. That way you're ready at any time and you can familiarise yourself with carrying the weight." Pyrrha takes the opportunity to try make Jaune feel better.

"I guess." Jaune mumbles.

 **Ruby giggles. "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, so... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it."**

 **"Wait - you made that?!" Jaune is shocked and impressed.**

 **"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?" Ruby asks.**

" **It's a hand-me-down." Jaune explains. "My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."**

 **"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughs in a friendly manner. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."**

 **"Yeah, the classics..." Jaune says dejectedly.**

Pyrrha takes this opportunity to hold Jaune's hand. Jaune looks at her unsure about the situation only for Pyrrha to give a comforting smile.

 **"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" Ruby starts walking again.**

 **Jaune walks alongside her. "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"**

"That's a very optimistic view to have." Blake says. "But you should be cautious, you never know who might end up being an enemy." _'It's the reason I wear a bow.'_ The last part goes unspoken.

"I would rather not think bad of people before I know them." Jaune responds. "It's better to have faith in people and give them an opportunity to prove you right."

Blake smiles at this. _'If only all humans thought like that.'_

 **"Hmm." Ruby looks around "Hey, where are we going?"**

 **"Oh, I don't know! I was following you." Jaune answers. "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognisable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"**

 **Ruby laughs "That's a no."**

"So you were just walking around with no idea where you were going?" Weiss asks.

"Sorta." Ruby answers. "In the end Jaune decided to ask someone for directions."

 **The scene changes to an aerial view of Ruby and Jaune entering Beacon Academy's giant auditorium, filled to the brim with people. Ruby looks over when she hears Yang's voice.**

" **Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Yang waves he over.**

" **Oh!" Ruby turns to Jaune. "Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" She then leaves.**

" **Hey, wait!" Jaune sighs "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!" He moves on to reveal Pyrrha standing behind him, hand on her hips as she watches him walk away.**

"Now that can't be a coincidence." Yang laughs.

"It does seem unlikely." Ren notes.

"I had decided to wait near the entrance, so I could see what kind of people I would be spending my time with." Pyrrha explains. _'I was also hoping to spot someone nice.'_ She reminisces. _'When I overheard Jaune I considered introducing myself but was worried he would recognise me.'_

 **Ruby stands next to Yang with arms.**

" **How's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asks.**

" **You mean since you ditched me, and I exploded?" Ruby is upset with Yang.**

" **Yikes! Meltdown already?" Yang misunderstands.**

" **No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school!" Ruby explains. "And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?"**

"Again. I must say, I'm sorry for leaving you alone sis." Yang apologises.

"This was ages ago." Ruby forgives. "I was just joking before."

 **Yang smiles broadly. "Are you being sarcastic?"**

" **I wish!" Ruby doesn't notice Weiss standing behind her. "I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"**

"This is like a horror movie." Nora jokes. "Weiss the big bad monster is creeping up on poor innocent Ruby, who just wants everyone to get along."

"I don't think that's how most horror movies work." Ren comments.

Weiss decides to ignore Nora's rude remark, after all it's Nora, what else can she expect.

" **YOU!" Weiss yells at Ruby.**

 **Ruby quickly jumps into her sister's arms. "Oh, God, it's happening again!"**

" **You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss yells angrily at Ruby.**

 **Yang deadpans. "Oh my God, you really exploded."**

 **Ruby explains to Yang. "It was an accident." She then gets out of Yang's arms and apologises to Weiss. "It was an accident!"**

 **Weiss holds a pamphlet in Ruby's face.**

" **What's this?" Ruby asks.**

 **Weiss lists off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word. "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarise themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."**

" **Urm?" Ruby doesn't know how to respond.**

"And where in the guide does it say you should wave Dust bottles in people's faces?" Blake asks, having fun with the idea of kicking Weiss of her high horse.

Weiss bows her head apologetically. "It was my first day at Beacon and I was nervous, I wanted something to focus on and I was annoyed that Ruby skipped years."

This was a relatively humble response from Weiss, so everyone decided to let it go.

" **You really wanna start making things up to me?" Weiss asks.**

" **Absolutely." Ruby says in a timid voice.**

 **Weiss hands the pamphlet to Ruby. "Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."**

 _'How could I act so arrogant?'_ Weiss thinks, not wanting to be like her father.

" **Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang tries to remedy the situation.**

" **Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby holds out her hand as she clears her throat. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"**

 **Weiss respond with sarcastic enthusiasm "Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!" Weiss points to Jaune in the background who perks up at hearing part of the conversation.**

Jaune groans, finally knowing about the misunderstanding. _'Will we have to watch all of my stupid attempts at trying to date Weiss?'_ He is not looking forward to the idea.

" **Wow, really?!" Ruby doesn't notice the sarcasm.**

 **Weiss glares in dead silence before responding. "No."**

 **The girls' attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Professor Goodwitch beside him.**

Weiss narrows her eyes, now suspicious of Ozpin and his intentions she decides to try and solve the mystery of what he has planned. "Listen closely everyone, Ozpin is clearly up to something and we need to know if we can trust him."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

"I mean we will eventually leave this place." Weiss explains. "And when we do it would be best if we could share our knowledge with someone who has a high level of authority. If we find that we can trust Ozpin, then I think he would be an excellent choice. Ironwood would also be a good bet."

"Someone's been thinking this through." Yang comments.

Ren who hasn't had much to do this chapter decides to write this down.

" **I'll... keep this brief." Ozpin starts the orientation "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."**

"What do you think he means?" Jaune asks.

Blake responds. "I think he means that being taught isn't enough. We need to be proactive in finding a goal and trying to achieve it." She recalls how Ozpin let them investigate Mountain Glenn.

 **Ozpin leaves and Goodwitch steps up to talk "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."**

" **He seemed kind of... off." Yang comments.**

 **Ruby agrees. "It's almost like he wasn't even there."**

 **Jaune approaches Weiss from the side. "I'm a natural blond, you know!"**

 **Weiss puts her hand to her face in exasperation.**

Weiss and Jaune both cringe at this.

 _'Will I have to put up with Jaune's insufferable flirting again?'_ Weiss thinks. _'And after finally gotten things cleared between us.'_ Weiss had enough people fawning over her back in Atlas, Jaune's flirting was a reminder how how people couldn't look past her appearance or name.

 **The scene changes.**

 **The first night at Beacon, students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pyjamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.**

" **It's like a big slumber party!" Yang says.**

 _'They should have told us that we would be sleeping on the ground for a night earlier.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I didn't have anything prepared and the sleeping bag they gave me hurt my back.'_

 **Ruby doesn't look up. "I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though."**

" **I know I do!" Yang purrs as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pyjamas, waving to her.**

"Way to ruin the mood Jaune." Yang jokingly complains.

"I would rather not be put in the same category as them." Jaune responds, At least he never thought that looks were all it took to get a girl.

 **This makes Yang groan before she returns her attention to Ruby. "What's that?"**

" **A letter to the gang back at Signal." Ruby explains. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."**

" **Aw, that's so cuuuute!" Yang gets a pillow thrown in her face for this comment.**

"Do you still keep in touch?" Pyrrha asks, wanting to know how things would be between the group after graduation.

"We did at first but in the end, we could never see each other so they decided it would be best to stop." Ruby gets a bit sad talking about it, but then perks up since she is much closer to everyone in the room than she ever was with her old friends. She was always the outlier with them and it meant she could never get to close to anyone without them pushing her away.

" **Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Ruby complains.**

" **What about Jaune? He's…." Yang pauses a moment to consider the best word. "Nice. There you go. Plus one friend. That's a hundred percent increase."**

"You could have said something a bit more positive than 'nice'" Pyrrha says.

"Hey. I didn't know Jaune well yet, so I didn't know any of his better qualities." Yang argues.

 **Ruby turns on her back. "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero..."**

" **There's no such things as negative friends. You just made one friend and one enemy." Yang gets hit with another pillow, this one looks like a dog. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."**

"That sounds like what I said." Jaune mentions. "What are the chances?"

"It is a good motivational quote for someone in unfamiliar circumstances." Ren gives his insight.

 **The two sisters notice the sound of a candle being lit nearby. The look over so see Blake leaning against a wall, reading her book.**

 **Ruby says "That girl..."**

Blake smiles at this, thinking herself fortunate to meet such good people.

 **Yang asks, "You know her?"**

" **Not really." Ruby replies. "She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."**

 _'I should have stayed to help her.'_ Blake thinks, but then remembers how she was keeping her distance from people back then. _'Perhaps it's for the best that Jaune was the one to help her.'_

" **Well, now's your chance!" Yang grabs Ruby's arm and lifts her up.**

" **Wait! What are you doing?!" Ruby tries to resist.**

 **Blake looks up from her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she leads her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.**

 _'Perhaps I was being to forward.'_ Yang thinks, then dismisses that though when she remembers that Blake wasn't the type to start a conversation herself, so this was the only way they could be introduced.

" **Hel-looooo!" Yang sings. "I believe you two may know each other?"**

" **Aren't you... that girl that exploded?" Blake asks.**

" **Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater..." Ruby pauses realising that is a bad idea. "Actually, you can just call me Ruby."**

"I wondered what you were about to say." Blake says. "Now I know, Crater Face." She jokes.

"Hey that wasn't my fault!" Ruby protests.

Weiss meanwhile refuses to make eye contact.

 **Blake resumes her reading while responding. "Okay."**

" **What are you doing?" Yang whispers to Ruby.**

" **I don't know - help me!" Ruby whispers back, then returns to smiling at Blake.**

"I could clearly hear you." Blake reveals. Ruby scratches the side of her neck while Yang plays with her hair, neither wanting to continue the conversation.

" **So... What's your name?" Yang tries to start a conversation.**

" **Blake." She gives the quickest answer and goes back to reading.**

"Social much?" Nora jokes.

" **Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!" Yang tries a compliment.**

 **Blake is irritated by the constant interruptions. "Thanks."**

 **It goes great with your... pyjamas!" Yang struggles to make any progress.**

"I don't think you're making much progress." Pyrrha comments.

"At least I was trying." Yang argues.

" **Right..." Blake barely pays attention to the conversation.**

 **Yang tries another approach. "Nice night, don't you think?"**

 **Blake replies "Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!"**

 **Ruby and Yang stand there.**

" **That I will continue to read." Blake continues.**

 **Ruby and Yang continue standing.**

" **As soon as you leave!" Blake makes it clear she wants to be alone.**

 _'I was being far too antisocial.'_ Blake thinks. _'How did I expect to become a Huntress without making any friends?'_

 **Yang remarks to Ruby. "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."**

 **Ruby asks Blake. "What's it about?"**

 **Blake is surprised. "Huh?"**

 **Ruby clarifies. "Your book. Does it have a name?"**

" **Well..." Blake chooses to give a full answer. "I-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."**

"Is it any good?" Ruby asks, she never asked before and was only reminded of it right now.

"It's considered a cult classic." Blake explains, "The two are at odds at first but they eventually work together and become a single entity."

"Spoilers!" Nora yells.

"I doubt any of you would have read it anyway." Blake looks at them, each agrees one way or another, be it nodding or looking away.

" **Oh, yeah... That's real lovely!" Yang responds sarcastically.**

" **I love books." Ruby no longer has any nervousness in her voice. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!"**

" **And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Blake is curious and amused.**

 **Ruby explains. "Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"**

"With that attitude, I'm sure you will make an excellent Huntress one day." Pyrrha compliments Ruby.

" **That's... very ambitious for a child." Blake's smile turns into a frown "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."**

" **Well, that's why we're here! To make it better." Ruby replies.**

Present Ruby continues. "And with this gift, we should learn exactly how to do so."

"It's not going to be easy." Weiss counters. "Whatever is coming, I'm sure we will have to work hard to stop it."

Many people nod at this. No matter how useful the information they gain, it will be their actions that decide if this Catastrophe will be averted. Ozpin's speech rings true even now.

 **Yang butts in. "Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister." She hugs Ruby into the air.**

" **Cut it out!" Ruby complains as they fight for a bit.**

 **Blake laughs slightly. "Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to have…"**

 **She is suddenly interrupted by Weiss who storms in looking cross. "What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realise some of us are trying to sleep?"**

"We were being a bit loud." Ruby admits.

"Exactly! It was already enough trouble having to sleep in such a crowded area and then you two start making a ruckus." Weiss complains.

"Didn't we agree to forgive each other for what we've done in the past?" Yang retorts.

 **Weiss and Yang look at each other for a moment "Oh, not you again!" They both yell.**

 **Ruby tries to calm things down. "Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!"**

" **Oh, now you're on my side!" Weiss sarcastically says while Blake rolls her eyes at the entire confrontation.**

" **I was always on your side!" Ruby argues.**

 _'I suppose she was.'_ Weiss admits to herself.

 **Yang supports her sister. "Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"**

" **She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss complains**

 **Blake, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and blows it out, enveloping the scene in black.**

 **The chapter ends with the song _Gold_.**

"That wasn't too important." Ren states, looking at his notes. The music still plays as he talks.

"All it's done is let us get to know each other better." Blake adds.

"How about we take a break?" Jaune suggests, feeling sorta nervous.

"It hasn't been that long, we can keep watching." Ren responds.

"Look Ren. As much as I'm sure you want to see the future, we have all the time in the world. Quite literally if what the note said is correct." Jaune argues back. "And I think it's best if we spend some time training, after all it's better to keep up a constant training schedule." Jaune subconsciously quotes Pyrrha.

Most of them agree with the exception of Yang who is too focused on the music to pay attention.

 ** _"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day"_**

 _'What does this mean?'_ She thinks. Not missing the reference to Summer Rose. _'Could it be about how I took care of Ruby after our mom died.'_ She ponders this for a while, with each new line of the song she becomes surer of her theory. _'Why is it so important? Should I be worried?'_

As the song finishes she notices that several people have left the room.

"Hey sis, I was out of it for a moment there. Mind telling me what happened?" Yang asks Ruby.

"We decided to take a break for training. Ren said he saw detailed school books in the library so he Weiss and Blake decided to go study. Nora tagged along." Ruby explains. "Pyrrha and Jaune went to the training grounds to practice."

"Well no bets on who wins that fight." Yang jokes.

Ruby looks at her sister surprised. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Yang asks, confused.

"Pyrrha has been training Jaune in their spare time for months now." Ruby says.

"Really? I noticed he has improved." Yang comments.

* * *

Meanwhile with Pyrrha and Jaune.

"Now, I'm going to attack you. Remember to keep you shield up and sword in a position to parry." Pyrrha instructs Jaune.

"Okay." Jaune responds, getting into a fighting stance.

Pyrrha then lunges forward with her spear but Jaune uses his shield to knock it to the side, Pyrrha gets back into a fighting stance and continues attacking his, each hit comes faster that the last until Jaune tries to parry with his sword, but they connect at the wrong parts so Pyrrha is able to overpower him and use this opportunity to disarm Jaune of both his sword and shield.

With the spar over they decide to take a break. Jaune sits on a chair tired from the heavy workout.

"Are you okay, normally you would have parried that attack?" Pyrrha asks, worried about Jaune.

"I just… it's…" Jaune struggles for the right words. "I'm worried."

"About what?" Pyrrha asks.

"About watching the past with everyone. I did a lot of stupid things that I don't want to relive." He sounds desperate, gripping Crocea Mors for stress relief.

"Jaune, we both know you've improved." Pyrrha sits next to him. "And even then, you were always a good person."

"That's now what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it?"

"It's Weiss."

Pyrrha's smile suddenly fades upon hearing this, but Jaune doesn't notice.

"Before the dance I tried hitting on her so many times, and now I'm over it but…" He pauses for a moment thinking how to say this. "I'm worried she will make fun of me, and that would be really embarrassing."

Pyrrha smiles in understanding. "In that case. I think I know how to fix it." She gets up and starts dragging Jaune by the hand.

"Hey. Pyrrha. Wait." Jaune struggles but isn't able to break her iron grip.

Pyrrha ignores his complaining as he leads him and says. "What you're forgetting is that you're not the only one going through this."

* * *

In the library with Weiss

Weiss sits at a desk by herself. She is amazed by the variety of books they available to them. Many don't even have an author and are instead collections of various researchers works, put together in an easy to understand manner.

She is trying to read a book about Grimm behaviour, but a thought keeps nagging her mind.

 _'How am I going to deal with watching myself be such a Bi…'_

Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by Pyrrha dragging Jaune into the room. They pass Ren and Nora's desk and head straight for her.

"Jaune has something to say to you." Pyrrha says then turns to Jaune "Tell her about your worries."

Jaune waits for a moment looking for a way out of this situation. He eventually decides to trust his partner though.

"I… Erm…" Jaune struggles for the best words. "We both know I used to hit on you and I was worried you would make fun of me." Jaune feels like a child being forced to read a note they gave a friend in front of the class.

Weiss on the other hand sees this as an opportunity. "I promise not to mention it in any way as long as you don't comment on my more…" She tries to think of the best word. "…unsociable behaviour."

Jaune is surprised by this. "Sure!" He considers the exchange to be a bargain.

Pyrrha smiles at this, glad her gamble paid off.

"Now if you excuse me." Weiss addresses them both. "I have a book to read." She returns to her reading now finding it easier to concentrate.

Jaune and Pyrrha leave to resume their training.

* * *

In the viewing room

Yang and Ruby are listening to the music together, trying to figure out what it means.

"So what do you think?" Yang asks Ruby about the song **_Gold_**.

Ruby pauses for a bit.

"I think it's about you." She says.

"I think so too, but explain why." Yang wants to hear Ruby's reasons.

"Well the most important part is that it's called gold, and out of all the people to appear on the screen you're the only one I can think of it applying to."

"And?"

"And, it's sorta embarrassing to say but." Ruby takes a second. "You've always been there for me since mom died. The song very clearly implies supporting someone else so…It just makes sense."

Yang smiles at this. "I think so too."

* * *

 **Ren's notes: Can we trust Ozpin.**

-Hiding something

+Has enough resources to support us

+Enemy to the CCT woman (probably)

* * *

 **A/N**

 **To the person who commented Pyrrha's character was written weaker than the others. TAKE THAT! Bet you don't think so anymore. (I actually really enjoyed writing her thoughts and feelings. Who do you think is the next weakest character?)**

 **The final part is my attempt at creating character drama. The issues were solved in a single chapter, so this is mainly a test. Do you think I did it well? Too little detail? Too much? Please tell me.**

 **Since the show doesn't give a person's inner monologue I decided this is a great opportunity for the characters to recall what they were thinking. This should help fill in the empty gaps so that this doesn't feel like you readers aren't just reading RWBY in written form while not forcing the characters to comment on every little thing.**

 **If you haven't noticed this will contain some Arkos, the main reason is because it is practically cannon. Any other ships introduced will be the ones that happen in the show (minus anything involving Jaune), so at this point ( _Volume 5)_ the only one I'm sure about is Ren/Nora but that will be done more subtly. Bumblebee also looks like it might become a thing but I'm not making any bets.**


	8. V1: C3: The First Step

**A/N**

 **Response to Comments:**

 **There will be no chibi. I haven't even seen chibi, so there should be no references. I don't plan on watching chibi in the near future so if you have any details from chibi that you think might make this better without any chance of going against cannon then please tell me.**

 **There will be no reactions to the trailers unless they are a character short. The trailers contain spoiler information that I would prefer being revealed at the relevant part of the chapter/episode.**

 **In response to the Bumblebee and Black moon comments I will say that I think both are possible at this point, so I will not make a bet I have a chance of losing. Since this Fanfic relies on cannon I have to be very careful not to make a guess that could end up being wrong.**

 **One big piece of advice I got was show don't tell. I plan on attempting to do this more however I would like to know your opinions. Do you prefer subtly and lines you have to think about why the characters act a certain way? Or do you prefer things given to you on a silver platter?**

 **Q: Why did Pyrrha hold Jaune's hand when she doesn't do it until volume 3?**

 **A: The relationship between the two is ambiguous between the volumes so I have made the guess that they are bordering the line between dating and not. Given this I will say that it is a thing that can happen but the context I gave was all about comforting each other so it's less about their relationship.**

 **If people have ideas for longer lasting drama, then could you tell me since I want my fic to have a unique feel to it but most of the chapters don't give an opportunity for drama.**

 **Just so people know my process of creating a chapter.**

 **Watch the episode.**

 **Edit the transcripts as I move them to a word document while also watching the episode again.**

 **Fill in the reactions and any other things the characters do while watching the episode again.**

 **Write the A/Ns.**

 **Post the chapter.**

 **Also a question I have: Do the American viewers have any problems with reading British spelling? As an Englishman I have no problem reading the American way since it's such a big part of culture, but I wonder if the reverse is true. My main example is how I write colour since the autocorrect changes it if I attempt to write color.**

* * *

After some time the teams decided to continue watching. They all returned to their seats and started the next video.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 3: The First Step**

"That's what Ozpin was talking about." Jaune points out.

 **The opening ends to a first person view of someone opening their eyes steadily. Eventually their eyes are fully open, and Nora is in full view.**

It's me!" Nora yells. "Looks everyone, I've finally made an appearance!"

Most of them smile at Nora, happy she finally got what she was clearly waiting for.

 _'This is likely my perspective.'_ Ren thinks, putting his notebook down. There probably won't be anything important and even if there is then he can write it later.

" **Wake up, lazy butt!" Nora greets the POV person.**

 **The scene switches to normal, showing Ren get up with a groan.**

" **It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!" Nora sings while jumping between different positions around Ren.**

 **Ren sighs at Nora's antics.**

"How do you have so much energy in the morning?" Weiss asks, only to receive a shrug from the girl in question.

 **Scene changes to Ren brushing his teeth with Nora standing near him.**

" **I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm... well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?" Nora babbles.**

"So Ren, you're the perfect student huh?" Yang remarks.

In response Ren sighs. "She means I put a lot of effort into my studies."

"And that you're basically a ninja with Stormflower." Nora points to Ren's weapon.

 **The scene changes to the ballroom, where the two are readying themselves. Nora is brushing her hair and still chattering while Ren is tightening the strings on his sleeping bag.**

" **We've been friends for soooooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not 'together-together...'" Nora continues.**

 _'Keep telling yourself that.'_ most of the uninvolved parties think to themselves.

" **Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?" Nora refuses to stop talking.**

"Wow I talk a lot." Nora realises. "But… I mean… Come on. Someone has to do the talking and it's not as if Ren will." She remarks with a giddy voice.

 **The scene changes again as the two are in the middle of eating their breakfast, Nora having a pancake hanging from her mouth as she is still talking.**

 **Nora muffles through her food "Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" She slurps up the rest of her pancake.**

Ren smiles. _'Me too. I'm glad we're still together.'_

" **Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has the school." Nora is a very talkative person.**

"You weren't seriously considering bribery, were you?" Pyrrha asks.

"Nah… I was sure things would work out one way or another." Nora answers.

 **The scene changes again as the two are readying themselves in the locker room, Ren loading his weapons and Nora still talking.**

" **I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" Nora gasps. "A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"**

 **Ren finally replies. "Nora?"**

" **Yes, Ren?" Nora responds.**

 **Ren sheathes his weapons into his sleeves. "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."**

"How would that work?" Ruby queried.

"We would both imitate sloths and head in the direction of another sloth." Nora answers.

"It was a ridiculous idea that we didn't even need." Ren comments.

"Hey! I worked hard on that sloth impression." Nora stamps her foot.

 **Nora thinks about this for a moment. "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!"**

 **Ren smiles, shutting his locker. "Come on Nora, let's go."**

" **But not 'together-together...'" Nora giggles.**

 **Ren heads out while a skipping Nora follows, passing Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long as they are busy readying themselves.**

"What. No! I thought we were going to have a JNPR episode!" Nora complains. "Are we just the prologue?"

"Did anything interesting happen to you after that?" Blake asks.

"Well, not really." Nora gives a vague answer.

"No." Ren clarifies.

"Then there's no reason for us to see it then." Blake says.

" **Wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Ruby says.**

 **Yang responds. "Oh, who knows? So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!"**

" **Yep! No more awkward small talk or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." Ruby strokes Crescent Rose as she sighs happily.**

"If you put as much effort into your studies as you do fawning over your weapon then you wouldn't be struggling so much keeping up in lectures." Weiss lectures.

"I'm trying my best." Ruby complains.

" **Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together." Yang lectures.**

 **Ruby sighs in frustration. "You sound like Dad!" She shoves her weapon back into the locker. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!"**

Everyone else laughs at this. Ruby pouts at them in response.

" **But what about when we form teams?" Yang reminds Ruby.**

 **Ruby is suddenly nervous. "Um, I don't know, I... I'll just be on your team or something..."**

 **Yang brings her hair around her shoulder and starts stroking it. "Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?"**

" **My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Ruby accuses her sister.**

 _'I still wanted to be on her team, not like I'd trust some strangers with Ruby, I just wanted her to be more socially independent.'_ Yang looks to Ruby. _'I guess it worked out in the end.'_

" **What? No! Of course I do! I just thought... I don't know, maybe it would help you... break out of your shell!" Yang defends herself.**

 **Ruby sounds frustrated. "What the-?! I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely…"**

" **Ridiculous!" Jaune appears suddenly walking in between the sisters, holding a map and looking lost.**

"What are the chances?" Nora comments.

"It did seem pretty weird at the time." Ruby recalls. "Until I noticed he was having a different conversation."

 _'Wow. And I never realised.'_ Jaune thinks.

" **There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?" Jaune continues.**

"And where was your gear?" Yang asks, already confident in the answer.

"Locker 636." Jaune confesses dejectedly.

 **Jaune passes Weiss and Pyrrha as they ready themselves at their lockers.**

" **So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" Weiss flatters.**

" **Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may." Pyrrha responds.**

 _'This was not a fun conversation for me.'_ Pyrrha remembers.

" **Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." Weiss proposes.**

" **Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha enthusiastically replies.**

 _'Perhaps I should assert myself more in getting what I want.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Maybe then Jaune will finally understand. But at the dance all I had to do was be honest and that turned out well. Though being honest is easier said than done.'_

" **Great." Weiss considers this a victory.**

 **The background disappears into a thundercloud as Weiss adopts a scheming pose and manic smile in her head.**

"Wait. What?" Weiss is shocked and confused.

"That certainly didn't happen." Pyrrha informs everyone. _'Could the videos be wrong.'_

 _' **This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!'**_ **Weiss's voice is heard with a weird echo, but her mouth doesn't move.**

"Wow, it's showing Weiss's thoughts." Ruby notices. "That's so cool!"

"It knows our thoughts?" Blake shifts uncomfortably.

"Well, only one way to find out." Yang turns to Weiss who has turned a shade of red. "Is that what you were thinking?"

Weiss nods her head slowly, choosing not to make direct eye contact.

"Never knew the Ice queen was so evil on the inside." Nora jokes.

"And she already thinks herself the smartest in the class." Blake is irritated by her arrogance, though admittedly she is at the top of the class.

Jaune, who has been surprisingly silent through out this, suddenly speaks up. "Okay everyone I think that's enough. Let's not bully her anymore." Since they had already made a deal this is the least he can do to help her.

"Aww." Nora whimpers, but decides to comply with her leaders orders.

 **Jaune comes between them and interrupting Weiss' evil train of thought. "You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you." He introduces himself.**

 _'Oh, great.'_ Jaune sarcastically thinks to himself.

 **Weiss is irritated by the interruption. "You again?"**

 **Pyrrha hurriedly lets herself be seen. "Nice to meet you, Jaune!"**

 _'Never knew Pyrrha was interested in him so early.'_ Nora thinks to herself, this was one of the rare circumstances that she uses her inside voice.

" **Yeah, yeah." Jaune pushes Pyrrha aside and talks to Weiss, posing slightly. "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."**

"And now I know I was just being an idiot." Jaune says.

"Just be glad that we can't hear your thoughts." Yang comments.

This doesn't comfort Jaune, who dips his head in shame.

Blake notices how Weiss doesn't say anything, much to her surprise.

" **Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Weiss complains.**

" **Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumours about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?" Jaune flirts.**

" **Actually…" Pyrrha interrupts getting Jaune's attention. "…I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so…"**

" **You don't say." Jaune interrupts now advancing on Pyrrha. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."**

"Yeah! Go team JNPR!" Nora cheers.

"Might I remind you who won our last food fight?" Ruby counters.

"That match was interrupted, we would have made an amazing comeback otherwise." Nora protests.

 **Weiss quickly separates the two. "Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"**

" **Not in the slightest, snow angel." Jaune resumes flirting with Weiss.**

" **This is Pyrrha." Weiss introduces.**

" **Hello again!" Pyrrha waves her hand.**

" **Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!" Weiss explains.**

" **Never heard of it." Jaune bluntly responds.**

"You had never heard of sanctum?!" Ruby is shocked by this reveal as are many others.

"Why would I need to know about a primary combat school I don't even have any connection to?" Jaune argues. Pyrrha meanwhile is glad that her partner wasn't knowledgeable about these things.

 **Weiss scoffs as if she herself was insulted. "She's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"**

" **The what?" Jaune has no idea what that is.**

Pyrrha smiles. _'This was the moment I decided to get to know him.'_

Deciding that it isn't a violation of their agreement Weiss says. "It was surprising to find that someone doesn't know about a competition as well known as the Mistral Region Tournaments, right Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha doesn't respond. In fact she actively turns her head away from Weiss. This was surprising for the others, but no one decided to mention it.

 **Weiss waves her arms rapidly in anger "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"**

 **Jaune gasps suddenly. "That's you?! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"**

 **A box of cereal appears behind Pyrrha so that she looks like the front cover mascot.**

" **Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha told them.**

"I definitely don't remember that being there." Weiss informs them.

"I think it's like special effects for the purpose of comedy?" Jaune sounds unsure as he says it.

"Whoever put this together must have added it for some reason." Blake states.

"But why bother? And who is this person anyway?" Yang is getting frustrated by these questions.

"We may never find out." All eyes turn to Ren. "If they wanted to reveal themselves then they probably would have done it sooner." He elaborates.

 **Weiss appears as the box design crumbles behind them. "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"**

 **Jaune hangs his head. "I guess not... Sorry..."**

 **Pyrrha goes to encourage Jaune. "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!"**

"And I stand by what I said." Pyrrha says, causing Jaune to blush.

 **Jaune immediately brightens back up. "D'oh, stop it."**

" **Seriously, please stop it." Weiss deadpans. "This kind of behaviour should not be encouraged."**

" **Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune." Jaune returns to standing in front of Weiss and flirting "Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?"**

"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it." Jaune mumbles quietly.

" **All right, that's a bit too close!" Weiss backs off "Pyrrha, a little help, please?!"**

 **Jaune looks back just in time to see Pyrrha's weapon strike him in the hood, sending the would-be leader flying off the screen.**

" **I'** m **s** o **r** r **y."** Both forms of Pyrrha say this.

"Ha!" Ruby laughs at this while others smile. Pyrrha blushes, surprised at what just happened.

"You do love to apologise." Yang remarks.

 **An announcement plays on the intercom system. Goodwitch's voice is heard. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."**

 **Weiss passes Jaune as he hangs from the wall of a locker on her way out. Pyrrha follows her, grabbing her spear and dropping Jaune to the ground. "It was nice meeting you!"**

 **Jaune slumps against the locker. "Likewise..."**

 **Ruby and Yang approach, the latter asks. "Having some trouble there, lady-killer?"**

" **I don't understand. My dad said all women look for is confidence! Where did I go wrong?" Jaune accepts Ruby's offered hand and uses her to lift himself back up.**

 **"'Snow Angel' probably wasn't the best start." Yang advises.**

"There's much more to it than that." Blake explains, slightly offended by Jaune's generalisation. "And besides, the way you acted reeks of insecurity."

"How so?" Jaune and many others are interested in this.

"You acted thinking your normal disposition is not good enough to get girls, so you created what you think is a cool personality. The problem is that people notice that isn't the real you, so they know how insecure you are." Blake explains.

"And how do you know this?" Weiss asks, genuinely curious.

Blake blushes at this. "I read." She responds, not wanting to give any more details.

" **Come on, Jaune, let's go." Ruby leads Jaune out of the locker room by supporting him and his damaged self-esteem.**

 **The scene opens to the Beacon Cliff, overlooking a forest, where several students are standing on silver tiles in front of a mug-holding Professor Ozpin and Glynda with her tablet.**

" **For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin says to the students.**

 **Goodwitch continues. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of 'teams.' Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."**

" **What? Ohhh..." Ruby says to herself, very nervous.**

"A bit nervous?" Pyrrha asks.

"It was a very important moment." Ruby answers. "How could I not be nervous?"

 **Ozpin further explains. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."**

 **Ruby groans.**

" **That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin reveals.**

 **A glass image of Ruby suddenly shatters revealing the real Ruby behind it. "Whaaaat!?" She squeaks.**

"Wow." Yang remarks. "Mental breakdown much?"

"It was a very big deal." Ruby complains. "What if I got paired with someone I don't like? Take Cardin for example."

Many people nod their heads and Blake even shivers at the idea of being his partner.

 **Nora says to Ren. "See? I told you-!"**

"Wait, how did you know about the pairing process?" Jaune asks.

Nora smiles smugly, liking the intellectual high ground she had gained.

Since Nora showed no signs of explaining, Ren does so for her. "Nora went exploring the campus before bed and overheard the seniors having a conversation."

Several 'ohh's could be heard as this definitely sounds like something Nora would do.

 **Ozpin resumes the explanation. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."**

 **Jaune laughs nervously and then gulps loudly.**

 _'I was way out of my element. I should consider myself lucky I survived the launch, let alone the Grimm we had to fight.'_ Jaune thinks.

" **You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"**

" **Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune raises his hand.**

 **Ozpin ignores Jaune. "Good! Now, take your positions."**

"Don't ask for questions if you're not willing to answer them." Jaune complains.

"Ozpin isn't known for being a very open person." Pyrrha responds.

This gets Ren thinking. _'How can we trust a person who isn't willing to share information?'_ a few others are having similar thoughts.

 **Everyone strikes a pose on their tile. Nora crouches low, Ren wields his weapons, Yang raises her fists, Ruby readies her body, and Jaune is still raising his hand.**

" **Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question." Jaune says, missing the tile under Weiss rising up into a springboard, rocketing her into the air and over the forest, as the platforms activate down the line. "So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"**

"Someone needs to pay more attention to their surroundings." Ruby remarks, glancing over at Jaune.

"I'm not the one who didn't notice a robbery." Jaune counters.

Ruby chooses not to respond to this and instead looks back to the screen.

" **No. You will be falling." Ozpin explains.**

 **Jaune still doesn't see the other students being launched. "Oh, uh, I see... So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" he asks.**

" **No. You will be using your own landing strategy." Ozpin clarifies.**

 _'Flirting aside, how did he get into this school in the first place?'_ Weiss thinks to herself. Though she admits that he had made vast improvements, and could now hold his own against most of the first years, that doesn't explain how he got into Beacon to begin with. _'Did Ozpin see something in him too?'_

 **Jaune still doesn't notice as an excited Nora and Ren get launched. "Uh-huh… Yeah."**

 **At her turn, Yang winks at her younger sister, puts on a pair of aviators, and flies off with a "Woo-hoooooooo!" a second before Ruby joins her.**

" **So, what exactly is a landing strategeeeee…" Jaune is interrupted by suddenly being launched into the Emerald Forest.**

 **Ozpin, for his part, simply takes a sip of his drink.**

 _'How much of this is Ozpin's plan? Did he set up the launch pads to create our specific teams?'_ Ren thinks, though after a bit of thought he discards the idea. _'There are too many factors for that to be the case, though he may have sent some of the other student far away to prevent any bad teams.'_

 **The scene changes to a black bird flying slowly and magnificently, right up to the moment it gives a final shriek and Ruby crashes through it in a burst of feathers as she plummets downward.**

" **Birdie, no!" Ruby screams.**

 **Ruby fires off a few rounds from Crescent Rose to slow her down, then turns the weapon into its scythe form to catch the branch of a tree in her blade and fall downward at a slower pace.**

 _'I never realised how awesome I look when doing these stunts.'_ Ruby grins.

 **Meanwhile Weiss, armed with Myrtenaster, summons a white snowflake glyph under her and leaps off of it to the forest below.**

 _'How would I do a landing without glyphs?'_ Weiss considers. Her Semblance does give her a major advantage in these things.

 **Ren descends (with Nora briefly being seen next to him at a faster speed) and spins in the air, eventually using his blades to spiral around the trunk of a large tree and hit the ground, brushing off his clothes.**

"Would it kill you to be more enthusiastic about things." Nora comments halfheartedly. In truth she would prefer that Ren not change so drastically.

" **Woo-hoo! Yeah! Alley-oop!" Yang, soaring right over the treetops, is using her gauntlets and its fiery force to push her through the air further and further north, spinning and laughing with each blast, even when she crashes through the leaves of a tree and leaps off two trunks to tumble to the ground. "Nailed it!" She declares as she runs off.**

"Now that's a landing strategy!" Yang boasts.

 **Pyrrha, her weapon in sword form and armed with a shield, crashes through several trees and rolls on a branch, immediately shifting her blade into a rifle and looking through the scope at Jaune as he continues to scream and fall helplessly. Pyrrha coolly transforms her weapon again to its spear form, takes a moment to evaluate her throw, and rockets the javelin deep into the forest until a 'THUNK!' is heard.**

 _'What would have happened to me if not for Pyrrha?'_ Jaune is nervous at the thought.

" **Thank you!" Jaune can be heard in the distance.**

" **I'm sorry!" Pyrrha waves in Jaune's direction.**

"What are you apologising for? Jaune would have been hurt if you hadn't done that." Blake asks.

"I was worried I might have hurt him." Pyrrha explains. _'And I also apologise regularly, just in case I accidentally offend someone.'_

 **In the middle of the forest, Ruby lands in a crouch, then darts off with a single mantra in her mind. _'Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find...'_**

" **Yang! Yaaaang!" Ruby yells.**

"Aww, my baby sis was looking for me." Yang wraps her arm around Ruby's neck and starts rubbing her hair.

"Yang! Stop it." Ruby complains, causing Yang to let go reluctantly.

 _' **Oh, this is bad, this is really bad... What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first?'**_ **Ruby thinks. _'Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice.'_ A bubble thought of them badly draw versions of her and Jaune appears above her head.**

"Ohhh! We get to see Ruby's thoughts." Nora remarks.

"My thoughts aren't that badly drawn!" Ruby argues.

"It does look like one of your drawings though." Weiss comments.

"Hey!" Ruby whines.

 _' **He's funny!'**_ **The bubble image changes to them laughing together.**

 _'It's nice to thinks I was considered good partner material.'_ Jaune thinks.

 _' **...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though.'**_ **Bubble Jaune is attacked by badly drawn beowolves.**

Jaune's mood suddenly drops.

 _' **Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm...'**_ **Bubble Blake appears.**

 _' **Plus she likes books!'**_ **Bubble Blake is surrounded by books.**

 _'It's weird to see someone describe you like this.'_ Blake thinks.

 _' **Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Ugh!'**_ **Bubble Blake walks away as Bubble Ruby talks.**

"Yeah, Blake isn't a very loud person." Yang says, Blake accepts this by simply nodding.

"At least she talks more than Ren." Nora comments.

 **Ruby shakes her head of the daydreams. _'Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, aaaand...'_**

 **Ruby kids to a halt to avoid running into someone. This someone is Weiss.**

"Even if I didn't know this was going to happen I would still have guessed it." Yang says.

"It's like you jinxed it." Jaune mentions. "Say something else."

"Err…" Ruby thinks for a bit. "It's not as if this will show us the secret to destroying all Grimm." She is hopping that the world will prove her wrong.

 **She stops just in time for their eyes to meet and a pregnant pause follows. This ends when Weiss turns on her heel and walks the other way.**

" **Wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby follows Weiss a few steps.**

 **Dejectedly Ruby stomps and kicks the ground. "We're supposed to be teammates..."**

"Ozpin said he was watching us." Pyrrha says. "Did you think he wouldn't notice you breaking the rules?" A hint of anger can be heard in her voice.

 **Weiss is seen struggling through the forest, giving an occasional grunt or "Ow!" as she pushes plants out of her way. She brushes herself off and sighs in relief when she hears a voice above her.**

 **Jaune is seen with Pyrrha's spear through his hood, pinning him to a tree. "Come on, come on! Stupid...!" he grumbles.**

 **As Jaune gives up trying to pull it out, he looks down and sees Weiss, giving an embarrassed wave. Weiss simply heads back in the direction she came from and Jaune groans in dejection.**

"In hindsight, everything turned out for the best." Jaune mentions, looking over to Weiss. "No offence but we would make a terrible team."

"No arguments here." Weiss responds.

 **Weiss passes Ruby and pulls her by the hood. "By no means does this make us friends."**

" **You came back!" Ruby is overjoyed as she's dragged away into the bushes.**

Ruby pipes up. "You said that before, but now were besties." Her voice is giddy and excited.

"Do not call us that again." Weiss deadpans. While she admits to them being close, she would rather not have Ruby be so outspoken about it.

 **Jaune see's the scene and waves his arms. "Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?!" he asks.**

" **Jaune." Shortly after Pyrrha appears below him "Do you... have any spots left on your team?"**

 **Jaune crosses his arms "Very funny..." he eventually looks down at her and gives a smile, which she returns.**

 _'This was one of the luckiest moments of my life.'_ Both Pyrrha and Jaune think.

 **The scene changes to Weiss trudging through the forest, with Ruby back a ways behind her.**

 **"What's the hurry?" Ruby asks.**

 **Weiss responds arrogantly "I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your…"**

 **Weiss is suddenly interrupted by Ruby dashing to appear in front of her at an incredible speed.**

"Don't let it ever be said that I'm slow." Ruby declares.

"At least not in the traditional sense." Weiss jokes.

" **I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!" Ruby states proudly.**

 **Weiss looks back, slightly amazed. "When did...?"**

" **Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" Ruby asserts.**

 **Ruby puts an arm around a sceptical Weiss' shoulders. "You're about to see a whole different side of me today Weiss, and after it's all over, you're going to be like, 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool... and I wanna be her friend!'"**

"So Weiss, what are your thoughts now?" Ruby asks.

"You are..." Weiss pauses, trying to think of a good response that compliments her without inflating her ego too much. "Surprisingly capable." She settles on this.

Despite Weiss's intentions, Ruby lights up at this and fist pumps the air in achievement.

 **Ruby again dashes of. Disappearing in a shower of rose petals, which Weiss waves away from her face just as she hears crackling and rustling in the bushes around her.**

" **You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!" Weiss calls out to Ruby. Only to be met with silence, save more forest noises.**

"Where did you go?" Weiss asks.

"I was scouting the area." Ruby answers

"Well you clearly didn't do a good enough job." Weiss expresses.

"What does that mean?" Yang asks.

Ruby laughs uncomfortably. "You'll see."

" **Ruby?" the forest darkens, forcing Weiss to lean in to try and find her new partner as a pair of red eyes are seen glaring behind her.**

" **Ruby…?" The perspective revolves around Weiss, as multiple pairs of red eyes stare at her from the bushes and a deep growl is heard. She turns around until she spots a large, jagged Beowolf emerging from a bush and approaching her.**

" **Ruby!" Weiss cries out as the Beowulf roars and the scene goes black.**

 **The song _I May Fall_ plays.**

"So you were attacked by a pack of beowolves?" Blake inquires.

Weiss confirms this. "Yes. And Ruby was nowhere to be seen."

"I admit it." Ruby says. "I messed up."

After some time talking the song ended and they decided to move on to the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This took longer than other chapters for personal reasons (and me being lazy). But it took less than a week, so I think no one has room to complain. On that note if a chapter isn't released in over a month then assume I am dead or kidnapped by aliens. If this happens then I would appreciate it if someone could pick up where I left off. This rule doesn't apply if I am caught up or have given a reason I won't be able to post updates on the latest chapter.**

 **You will notice Ren's notes don't make an appearance, this is because they have no reason to. Ren's notes only appear when there is important information. So when they get to the future they should appear every chapter.**

 **I am unsure about the reactions to _I May Fall_ so if you have any suggestions then please tell me and I may add them in the next chapter.**

 **Remember if you think someone is acting out of character then please tell me and I will try to justify it or change it to whatever you think is a better response.**

 **Who do you think doesn't get enough lines? Ren doesn't count because he is naturally quiet.**


	9. V1: C4: The Emerald Forest

**A/N**

 **The further I get into this story the harder it will be to go back and fix mistakes. For this reason I will only be fixing mistakes in spelling or the word used. When it comes to grammar don't bother telling me as it is too much effort and most people would prefer me spend my time on the next chapter. Once I am caught up with the show I will look back and try to fix things.**

 **In terms of what I will do when caught up. I will wait for the next volume to come out, wait until the volume if finished, and then write again. In between volumes I may decide to take on a side project (Most likely a freelancers react to Red vs Blue since the only two I could find were cancelled or based on them being dead). Don't worry as this Fanfic will take precedence over anything else I make.**

 **Intermission chapters: These will be done when I think they are necessary, but that kind of thing is more likely to be at the start or end of an actual reaction chapter.**

 **Grimm eclipse: I have not played this however I have read the summary on the wiki. In my head this fanfic is set after those events however I will not make a reaction until I have played it or have a very deep understanding of the events. I may eventually release a special chapter where they watch it.**

 **I want it to be known that I am a person who usually doesn't like writing. This fanfic is an exception as it is for a series I very much enjoy (though I only started watching it after volume 5 was out). This is the reason for my numerous mistakes.**

 **As someone who only started watching recently I would like to be informed of the fan theories that existed in the past. But only the ones that RWBY and JNPR may also think of.**

 **Commenter Grano Onis, your comments are always very useful. Regarding the conflict you spotted I will say that I intended for the readers to figure out the reason by themselves from the chapter but since you didn't notice I will assume many others haven't noticed and hold of on revealing. (Notice how I didn't name the conflict to avoid spoiling people who don't want to know). Also regarding why Blake was annoyed by Weiss's evil scheming, they are all friends and Blake wouldn't blame Weiss for something like that long term, that doesn't mean she can't be annoyed in the moment. I will try to write in such a way that people know that these things aren't important in the long run from now on.**

 **Regarding me doing RWBY react to anything outside of their universe or non-cannon. NO I WILL NOT. I spend enough time on this fanfic that I can't do another and most importantly I personally dislike those kind of reactions. I will never write something that I would not want to read.**

* * *

Not much time passed until they decided to watch the next video. Ren was wondering about the song that played at the end though.

 _'Another reference to something terrible happening in the future. This all seems too much for us to deal with alone, but can we really trust someone with this kind of knowledge? Even if we decide to tell Ozpin, how can we convince him that we're being serious? We need to learn something that only he knows, if we do that then he may be convinced.'_

As he thinks this Blake decides to select the new chapter.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 4: The Emerald Forest**

"That… means nothing." Yang declares. It seems they wouldn't be able to get any useful info from the title this time.

 **The opening ends to an overhead view of the Emerald Forest as the perspective pans down into the misty underbrush, where Yang Xiao Long is walking and looking around.**

 **Yang calls out. "Helloooooooo?" Not seeing a shadow quickly pass by. "Is anyone out there? Helloooo?"**

 **Yang stops and raises her arms. "I'm getting bored here!"**

"That's what you get for charging forward, separating yourself from everyone else." Weiss points out.

"We were heading north so I thought it was a good idea, and might I remind you which pair made it to the temple first." Yang boasts.

 **A rustling is heard from the bushes behind her, so Yang turns to face them. "Is someone there?"**

 **The rustling continues as Yang comes over and peaks inside. "Ruby, is that you?"**

"You were looking for me?" Ruby exclaims excitedly.

"Well yeah." Yang responds. "I didn't expect to be the first one to find you, but I thought 'might as well'."

"What was that about trying to make her break out of her shell?" Blake spots the contradiction.

"I just wanted her to make new friends!" Yang yells, fed up of being cornered. "And everything turned out well in the end, so it doesn't matter!"

 **A low, inhuman growl is heard, and Yang's head rises up as she stares at the creature. "Nope!"**

 **Yang quickly rolls to the side as an Ursa charges out of the green. She gets up and activates her Ember Celica, staring at the monster before another Ursa runs out behind her. She leaps over it, and its companion runs at her again, only to get knocked back by a fiery punch.** **The other Ursa and Yang charge at each other, and Yang manages to get under it and deliver several punches and a kick to send the creature back.**

" **You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" Yang jokingly asks.**

 **The Ursai merely growl at her. "You could just say no." Yang responds.**

"You shouldn't mess around when fighting Grimm." Pyrrha warns.

"I knew I could handle it." Yang waves her of. "Besides, doing so makes us seem confident. And remember how that prevents people from being scared."

 **One of the Ursai stands on its legs and swipes at her twice, Yang barely dodges the attacks.**

 **Yang laughs. "Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba..." Before she can complete her insult, a single strand of her golden hair falls in front of her face and lands on the forest floor.**

"Oh dear, not again." Ruby moans.

"At least this way she will start fighting seriously." Weiss comments.

" **You..." she closes her violet eyes, then opens them to reveal red, making the Ursai look at each other confused, before Yang screams: "You monster!"**

 **An inferno surrounds Yang for a moment, and she rockets forward, unleashing a devastating combo of flaming hits and blows on the offending Ursa, making it fly through several trees.**

 **The other monster runs over, but stops short at Yang's gaze while a tree falls to the ground behind her.**

" **What! You want some, too?!" Yang taunts the remaining Ursa.**

 _'We need to work on Yang's temper more.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Or else she could mess things up in the middle of a fight.'_

 **The Ursa rears up and prepares to strike... right when a whirling noise is heard, and the monster makes a befuddled noise, falling down a second later to reveal Blake Belladonna with her Gambol Shroud in the beast's back.**

 **Yang pants in exhaustion while Blake recalls the weapon back to her hand, sheathing it on her back and smiling to Yang.**

 _'I was a little unsure about having Yang as my partner, but eventually I realised that she's just extroverted.'_ Blake thinks.

 **Yang, now lilac-eyed again, speaks to her new partner over the smoking remains of the monster. "I could've taken him."**

 **The scene suddenly changes to Weiss Schnee's predicament from the end of the last video, deflecting the swipe from a Beowolf with her Myrtenaster and getting pushed back into the middle of the beastly circle. She holds out her sword as she goes through her duelling motions and practices.**

 _' **Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward — not that forward! — slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and...'**_ **She adjusts her stance as she thinks, finally bringing her rapier up, the revolver spinning. _'Now!'_**

"That was not the time to go though your stances." Pyrrha advises.

"It is important to keep proper form." Weiss argues.

"When in a real fight you need to feel comfortable." Pyrrha explains. "You train so that the most comfortable way for fighting is efficient. Otherwise you will eventually wear yourself out by straining your muscles too much."

 **Weiss dashes forward with her loaded weapon at the Beowolf in front of her, just when Ruby suddenly appears between the two in a blur of rose petals and a swipe of her Crescent Rose scythe. "Gotcha." Ruby says as she lands a hit.**

 **Weiss widens her eyes and screams as she quickly has to stop, swinging the sword in a random direction and creating a line of fire that sets a nearby tree ablaze, followed quickly by the rest of the forest around the clearing.**

"Wow, that was stupid!" Ruby admits. "Sorry for getting in the way. I wasn't used to fighting in a team."

"You weren't the only one to make mistakes that day." Weiss confesses as a way of accepting the apology.

 **Ruby, distracted by Weiss' mess-up, is barely defended when the same Beowolf scratches at her weapon, knocking the younger girl into the heiress.**

" **Hey, watch it!" Ruby whines.**

" **Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!" Weiss protests.**

" **You'll have to try a lot harder than that..." Ruby mumbles.**

 _'Was I really acting so arrogant?'_ Ruby is shocked by the way she acted.

 **The duo wield their arms as the pack of Beowolves whine and growl around them. Ruby reloads her scythe just as a flaming tree falls near them.**

 **Weiss grabs Ruby's arm. "We have to go!" She says as she pulls her partner away.**

 **She leads Ruby out of the blaze as it engulfs the grass and sets the Grimm to stop pursuing the girls or suffer in the fire.**

"How did that fire stop anyway?" Ruby wonders.

"I was curious, so I asked one of the teachers and they said that it was put out so that other students would have a fair chance at getting to the temple." Weiss explains.

"So that's what the burnt area was when me and Ren were making our way." Nora comments.

 **Ruby and Weiss stop a safe ways from the smoke and flames. Weiss leans over and pants as Ruby looks behind her.**

" **What was that?! That should've been easy!" Ruby starts an argument.**

" **Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!" Weiss refutes.**

 **Ruby scoffs. "What's that supposed to mean?"**

" **I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!" Says Weiss.**

Ruby cringes at the argument. "We were both being stupid." She tries to tie things up with Weiss.

"Agreed." Weiss responds. And with that the two decided to not blame each other for the mistakes they made.

Unfortunately not everyone understood. "You should have seen what it was like when we first moved into the dorms together." Yang says to the members of JNPR.

"Yang, I think you should stop." Jaune informs her.

Not entirely sure about what he means, Yang decides to back down.

" **Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!" Says Ruby.**

" **Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo!" Says Weiss.**

 **Weiss begins to walk off on her partner yet again. Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolds Crescent Rose, slices a tree down to the stump, refolds it back, and follows her partner as the tree crashes behind her. Neither notice the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them.**

 _'Oh dear.'_ Weiss and Ruby remember the stunt they played involving that Nevermore.

"Well that's foreshadowing for the fight later." Nora comments, having never learned of what the two did.

 **Meanwhile across the Forest, Pyrrha and Jaune are making their way through the bushes. Jaune hears a noise far away and turns his head.**

" **Did you hear that?" Jaune asks.**

 **Pyrrha responds. "Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."**

"The first day and you already consider us comrades." Blake mentions. Pyrrha blushes at this.

"That's our Pyrrha." Ruby cheers.

 **They keep moving forward, Jaune still staring in the sound's direction as Pyrrha raises a branch to pass by and accidentally releases it right at Jaune's face, flooring him instantly.**

Jaune tries keep a straight face, seeing how vulnerable he was before he had his aura unlocked.

" **Jaune!" Pyrrha looks back behind her. "I'm sorry!"**

 **Jaune laughs, lowering his hand from his cheek to reveal a gash from the wooden recoil. "It's okay. Just a scratch!" He gets back up when Pyrrha approaches him.**

 **Pyrrha asks. "Why didn't you activate your Aura?"**

" **Huh?" Jaune doesn't understand.**

 _'He didn't even have his aura unlocked!?'_ Weiss is struggling not to say anything, thankfully someone else talks for her.

"You didn't know what aura was?" Ruby asks. "How did you get into Beacon?"

Jaune looks to the ground and mumbles. "You'll find out eventually." He is fairly certain that part won't be skipped, and he is not looking forward to it.

" **Your Aura." Pyrrha repeats.**

" **Gesundheit." Jaune responds.**

" **Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?" Pyrrha asks.**

 **Jaune waves the question off, avoiding eye contact. "Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?"**

"No one is ever fooled by that." Yang says.

"I had to say something." Jaune defends himself.

 **Pyrrha smiles at him and gets ready to explain as the scene changes to Lie Ren's trek through the forest's tall grass.**

 **Pyrrha's voice is heard "Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"**

By this point the group isn't surprised by the weird method of showing the events and no one mentions it.

" **Uh... yeah." Offscreen. Jaune responds.**

 **Ren stops and narrows his eyes, looking around him while a huge black Grimm serpent rises up from the grass behind him and quickly surrounds him with its large, hissing body. Ren adopts a fighting stance as the snake coils together in front of him and attacks with its long fangs.**

 **Pyrrha is back on screen, walking around Jaune. "With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."**

"It's basically a Hunters second weapon." Nora blurts.

" **What about monsters?" Jaune asks.**

" **No." Pyrrha answers as the scene switches back to Ren as he leaps out of the way,** **the snake's mouth hitting the ground and instantly coming up again to hit a jumping Ren back with its snout.**

" **The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity." Pyrrha is still heard.**

"Or at least that's the running theory." Weiss points out. "In truth, very little about their true nature is understood."

"You think this may eventually tell us?" Blake asks.

"I doubt that we would be involved in something of that scale." Weiss then thinks about the possibility. She isn't the only one.

 _'Is it possible we all end up involved in something as big as The Great War?'_ Ren thinks. He hopes that is not the case.

 **Ren lands in a crouch when the serpent encircles him again, and he unleashes his StormFlower before jumping out of the Grimm's trap and firing at the creature.**

" **They are the darkness, and we are the light." Pyrrha explains.**

 **Ren kicks the snake's snout and slashes at its head.**

" **Right, that's why we fight them!" Jaune agrees.**

" **It's not about why; it's about knowing." Says Pyrrha.**

 _'There is so much about the Grimm that we don't know.'_ Ren thinks. _'Perhaps if we knew more then we would be able to protect settlements more easily.'_

 **The snake flows around Ren and tries to bite him again, but he flips over it and drives his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing the serpent's white head behind him.**

" **Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both." Pyrrha clarifies.**

 **Ren turns and looks up at the white head as it launches itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it gets closer, he runs at it and leaps onto the black head, sliding over its body and blasting the other head.**

" **By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting." Pyrrha continues.**

 _'How did Jaune even get into Beacon?'_ Weiss thinks. _'With how little he knew, there is no way they should have accept his transcripts.'_

 **Ren is unprepared, as the white snake hits him with its head, knocking him off as he drops his weapons, and leaving him to merely raise his arms and distantly cry "No!" as mouth of the black head bites at him.**

 **The scene changes back to Jaune who responds. "It's like a force field!"**

" **Yes, if you want to look at it that way." Pyrrha accepts the simplification.**

 **Ren is holding of the black head as his pink aura surrounds his hands, protecting them. He grips the monsters teeth and yanks them from the monster's mouth, causing it to flail away. It attempts to bite him again, but Ren spins to the side and stabs a fang into its eye, rotating his arm to deliver a final blow that drives the makeshift weapon into its skull, which ripples, expands, and blows apart in a dark mess as its headless body falls over its fellow creature. Wasting no time, Ren runs right at the white head.**

"Do you think these took place at the same time?" Ruby asks. "Because if they did then that would be a really weird coincidence."

"I think that they just spliced together the scenes for dramatic effect." Jaune speculates.

"It does seem weird though." Ren speaks up. "It's as if the videos don't assume we have any knowledge of Remnant or any of the common knowledge we all have."

This gets them talking about the nature of the videos. But they eventually decide that it is a hopeless endeavour.

 **Pyrrha walks up to Jaune and touches the side of his head. "Now, close your eyes and concentrate."**

 **Jaune complies. "Uhh... Okay."**

 **Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stand there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.**

" **For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death." Pyrrha places a hand on Jaune's chest. "I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Pyrrha stops glowing red and hunches over in tiredness.**

" **Pyrrha?" Jaune asks in concern, still glowing from the awakening.**

"You put him through an awakening!" Ruby shouts in surprise. "And you still had enough energy to fight!"

"It wasn't a problem." Pyrrha waves of the question, not wanting to be put on another pedestal.

 **Pyrrha gets back up. "It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." She grins as she watches Jaune's scratch close up and vanish. "You have a lot of it."**

 **Jaune smiles and looking at his hands as the glow stops. "Wow..."**

"Does he really have that much?" Blake asks, curious.

Pyrrha answers. "Yes, it was honestly quite a surprise." Jaune smiles at this, glad he has something to help him fight with his friends.

 **At the same time, Ren stands atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his sleeves and brushing them off before a strange, animal-like noise is heard above him twice. He looks up and meets the upside-down eyes of Nora, who is hanging from a branch.**

 **Ren chuckles. "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like."**

 **In response, Nora gives her friend a "Boop!" on the nose, causing him to smile.**

"Sounds more like a bird call to me." Yang remarks.

Ren sighs. "You should have heard some of her earlier impressions."

 **The scene changes to Professor Ozpin watching the students on his Scroll at the Beacon Cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest when Professor Goodwitch walks up behind him, holding her own tablet.**

" **Our last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda taps her scroll to show Nora and Ren. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along."**

"Shows what you know!" Nora yells at the screen, very much offended. Though she laughs it of as some of her usual antics.

"So you were the last pair?" Jaune is surprised by this considering how skilled they are.

"It was likely due to us having fought many Grimm before seeing each other." Ren comments.

"I took on a dozen Ursa!" Nora declares.

Many of them raise an eyebrow at this claim. "It was likely just a couple of beowolves." Ren explains.

"Big beowolves." Nora defends herself. "With teeth on their hands." At this point she is clearly making things up.

" **Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos." She changes the scroll to follow Pyrrha and Jaune trek through the woods.**

Jaune gets slightly depressed by this evaluation.

" **Mmmm..." Ozpin raises an eyebrow.**

 _'Does he know?'_ Pyrrha thinks about the possibility. _'He does seem like the type to do something like that based on intuition.'_

" **I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." Goodwitch deactivates her scroll, walking back a little.**

Jaune gets even more depressed, remembering that eventually all his friends will likely know about the forgery.

" **I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes." Goodwitch turns to Ozpin.** " **Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?"**

 **Ozpin doesn't respond.**

" **Professor Ozpin?" Glynda tries to get his attention.**

 **Ozpin doesn't answer, watching his tablet with a contemplating interest as it shows the footage of Ruby sitting in the grass and picking stray leaves while her 'partner' walks in random directions.**

 _'He seems far too interested in our pair, and I doubt it's because of me.'_ Weiss thinks. _'But why? What makes her so special?'_ She doesn't feel envious. But it is a mystery that she would rather know the answer to. Ruby especially has the right to know.

 **The scene transitions to Ruby and Weiss.**

 **Weiss walks to the right. "It's definitely this way." She stops and starts walking left. "I mean... this way! It's definitely this way." She stops in front of Ruby "Alright, it's official: We passed it."**

 **Ruby stands up, slightly annoyed. "Weiss, why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?"**

" **Because I know exactly where we're going! We're going... to... the forest temple!" Weiss barely answers the question.**

"That's not an answer." Yang remarks.

Weiss sighs. "I admit it, I was being stupid. Now can we get to the important parts?" The more she sees, the less she is enjoying this.

 **Ruby sighs, frustrated.**

" **Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!" Weiss argues.**

" **Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything." Ruby argues back.**

" **What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss responds.**

" **It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!" Ruby yells.**

"Is that the best insult you could think of?" Blake chuckles.

Ruby groans. "I'm not used to being negative. Okay."

 **Weiss sighs to herself, spinning around and walking in another direction. "Just keep moving!"**

" **Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah! Watch where you're going!" Ruby makes a faux imitation of Weiss' voice. "Why are you so bossy?!" She says in her normal voice.**

 **Weiss turns back around to face Ruby. "I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!" She bosses Ruby around.**

 _'You can be sorta bossy.'_ Ruby thinks, but decides not to say it aloud since she doesn't want to start a conflict.

" **Stop treating me like a kid!" Ruby says.**

" **Stop acting like a kid!" Weiss responds.**

" **Well, stop acting like you're perfect!" Ruby counters.**

" **I'm. Not. Perfect!" Weiss declares. "Not yet... But I'm still leagues better than you." She continues to walk away.**

" **You don't even know me..." Ruby says to herself, dejectedly.**

Weiss is feeling really guilty about the things she said. _'Will the video show every embarrassing thing I've done?'_ She worries.

 **Meanwhile Yang and Blake step out into a clearing that reveals the circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding several black and gold objects.**

" **Think this is it?" Yang asks.**

 **In response, Blake gives Yang an incredulous look and heads down the hill, her partner following. They walk across the floor and observe the items on each pedestal, now shown to be familiar shapes.**

 **Blake looks at a black king, confused. "Chess pieces?"**

"Does anyone know why he chose chess pieces?" Pyrrha asks.

Everyone just shakes their head. "It's probably just a whim." Jaune comments.

" **Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." Yang replies.**

 **Blake comes to a conclusion. "Well, I guess we should pick one."**

"How did the others beat us to the temple?" Yang wonders.

"It was likely because of how the launch pads distributed us?" Blake answers.

 **Scene changes to Jaune and Pyrrha standing at the mouth of a dark cave, where drawings are seen to the side involving armed men against giant beasts.**

" **Think this is it?" Jaune asks.**

"No, no, no, no, no." Jaune mutters under his breath.

 **The scene cuts to their walk inside the cave, Jaune holding a short, burning torch to light their way.**

"This is going to be interesting!" Nora remarks. Normally she would be worried, but she knows they come out alright.

Pyrrha avoids Nora's eyes. Rubbing the back of her neck, embarrassed for Jaune.

" **I'm not sure this is it." Pyrrha responds to Jaune's earlier question.**

 **Jaune sighs. "Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humour me for, like, five more feet?"**

 **Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Jaune trips on the ground, and the torch flies into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two are cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.**

 **As Jaune gets up and grumbles Pyrrha asks. "Do you... feel that?"**

" **Soul-crushing regret?" Jaune responds.**

" **No, it's... warm." Pyrrha observes.**

"This is how you found the Death Stalker?" Yang asks.

"Yes." Jaune answers dejectedly.

 **Back at the temple, Yang approaches one of the relics.**

" **Hmmmm..." Yang studies the golden knight, then picks it up and shows it to Blake. "How about a cute little pony?"**

 **Blake smirks. "Sure." They walk towards each other to the centre of the temple floor.**

" **That wasn't too hard!" Yang says.**

 **Blake responds. "Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." They share a smile.**

"You were just lucky!" Weiss protests. Ruby nods eccentrically in agreement.

Jaune also agrees, but decides not to say anything.

 **Jaune and Pyrrha continue onward through the cave until they see a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.**

" **That's the relic!" Jaune assumes as he slowly reaches out to grab it, but it moves away from his swipe. "Hey! Bad... relic!" He tries to get it again, then jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him above the ground. "Gotcha!"**

"Oh dear." Ruby comments. Now she is very worried, despite knowing they end up okay.

Jaune covers his face with his hands, not wanting to see this part.

" **Jaune…?" Pyrrha is worried.**

 **Jaune's catch lowers itself so he is dangling right in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a Death Stalker.**

"This is not good." Yang says.

 **Jaune screams so loudly it can be heard from the temple.**

" **Some girl's in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?" Yang asks her partner.**

Yang and Nora burst into laughter, and many of the other girls giggle at this.

"You…haha…you were…ha…it was you!" Yang says between laughing.

Jaune groans, leaning back in the sofa and staring at the ceiling.

Pyrrha tries to comfort him but gets stuck thinking of something to say that doesn't sound arrogant.

Weiss however sees an opportunity. "I'm sure we all did stupid things during the initiation. It would be best if we just overlook them."

Ren raises an eyebrow at this, but decides not to say anything.

 **Blake doesn't answer, staring at something in the sky.**

 **At the cave entrance, Pyrrha rushes out right before the monster crashes through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hangs from the stinger, calling from help and continuing to scream.**

" **Help! Whoa-ah-ah-ah-ah! Why?! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!" Jaune sobs. "Do something!"**

 **Pyrrha is wielding her spear in front of the creature. "Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let…"**

 **Before she can finish, the Grimm hurls its tail back and launches a still-screaming Jaune across the forest as she watches in dismay.**

"… **go." Pyrrha ends her sentence.**

"It was probably for the best that you let go." Pyrrha points out, trying to cheer Jaune up. "If you hadn't. We would have had to fight it without anyone else's help."

Jaune smiles at this. Not because of the things she said but instead because he was glad she is supporting him. _'What did I do to deserve such a good partner?'_

 **Pyrrha turns back to the scorpion as it continues to snap its claws at her, and she smiles embarrassedly before turning and rushing away.**

 **Meanwhile Blake is still staring at something above them, but Yang is focused on the forest.**

" **Blake, did you hear that?" Yang turns to her partner. "What should we do?"**

 **Finally, the faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" is heard as Ruby is shown falling from the sky.**

 **The Video ends.**

"That's it?" Nora questions. "That ended far to abruptly!"

"Then we should waste no time and get onto the next video." Ren wants them to get through this as fast as possible.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This chapter had very little going on in terms of drama. But that's okay. If every chapter had to have drama then I would be hard pressed for things to write.**

 **Regarding reactions to soundtracks: The some of lyrics for the earlier chapters don't appear since I was worried about getting reported, however I'm fairly certain there shouldn't be any consequences so later on I don't do this.**

 **Speaking of plagiarism, I have been copying the transcripts more and more and I would very much like to know if this is allowed. Also do you think that the quality of the Bold text has gone up or down?**

 **For anyone who leaves a comment please end it with the phrase "Lead me into everlasting darkness" or make a reference to the same franchise.**


	10. V1: C5: Players and Pieces

**A/N**

 **I haven't said this yet, so I will now. I own nothing.**

 **For the person who asked me about why they didn't react to the Ursa' Yang was fighting showing signs of high intelligence. I believe that any signs of the Grimm not being purely malicious are either comic relief for us as the audience or are retconned from the story. Either way I am not taking any chances.**

 **The way I write assumes you have watched the episode and have a rough understanding of what the settings look like. If you can't recall, then please go watch the relevant episode. If you have never seen RWBY then stop reading.**

* * *

It didn't take long for them to start the next video.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 5: Players and Pieces**

 _'Not very revealing.'_ Ren thinks. _'These titles seem to be getting less important.'_

 **The opening ends to show the top half of Ruby with black feathers behind her and strong winds blowing.**

 _'So it's going to be showing this.'_ Ruby tenses up a bit while Weiss dips her head.

 _'Seeing all these things in third person makes it much easier to tell when we're being stupid.'_ The heiress thinks.

" **Ruby!" Weiss's voice can be heard.**

 **The scene switches to Weiss in a similar position. "I told you this was a terrible idea!" she yells.**

"The hell are you even doing?" Nora asks. Only to be met with silence from both Ruby and Weiss.

"I believe they were attempting to ride the Nevermore." Ren reveals, shocking the rest of JNPR.

"That's certainly… courageous." Pyrrha says.

"It's freaking awesome!" Nora yells. "And I thought that riding an Ursa was impressive!"

"We just wanted to get some high ground to see the temple." Ruby feels smaller than she usually does as she sinks into the sofa.

"We!?" Weiss protests. "I was against the entire thing."

"Traitor." Ruby mumbles so that no one can hear her.

" **We're fine! Stop worrying!" Ruby replies.**

" **I am so far beyond worrying!" Weiss declared.**

 **Ruby pauses for a moment. "In a good way? She asks.**

" **In a bad way! In a very bad way!" Weiss shouts.**

"What about that situation would make you think I wasn't worried?" Weiss asks.

"I like to see the positive side to things." Ruby replies.

" **Well, why don't we just jump?" Ruby proposes.**

" **What are you? Insane?!" Weiss responds.**

 **She is met with silence; Ruby has already disappeared.**

Weiss is about to speak up but Ruby talks first. "I get it… I'm sorry for leaving you."

Weiss smiles at this. _'At least she knows her mistakes.'_

 **Weiss screams "Oh, you insufferable little red-!"**

 _'I on the other hand could do with some social lessons.'_ Weiss admits to herself.

 **The scene changes cutting of what Weiss was about to say. Down on the ground in the Abandoned Temple, Blake is still staring skyward and pointing for Yang to look up.**

" **Blake, did you hear that? What should we do?" Yang asks, not looking upwards.**

 **Ruby's voice is heard from above. "Heads uuuuuuuup!"**

 **Ruby is seen falling from the sky. Time seems to slow as before she can land she is hit by Jaune who was thrown by the Death Stalker. The two are propelled into the trees.**

"How did that even happen?!" Jaune asks no one.

"It does seem unlikely." Blake admits.

"And yet it happened." Yang reminds them. "And I doubt anyone was manipulating the events."

 _'At least not that aspect of it.'_ Ren thinks.

 **Ruby is dazed as she sits on a branch. "Oohhhh... What was that?" Her dizziness passes with a shake of her head.**

" **Eh-hem!" Jaune is heard. Ruby looks up to see him hanging upside down from a higher branch. "Hey Ruby." He says.**

 _'It took me a while to get my foot unstuck from that branch.'_ Jaune remembers. _'I'm lucky to have survived in the first place. If not for Pyrrha unlocking my aura earlier, that would have killed me.'_

 **Blake and Yang look over from the temple. "Did your sister just fall from the sky?" the former asks.**

" **I…" Yang begins but is interrupted by a growling sound in the forest in front of her.**

 **A large explosion is heard and an Ursa appears from the forest. Another explosion is heard from behind it and the sound of Nora going "YEEEE-HAAAAW!"**

 **The Ursa collapses, revealing that Nora was riding it against its will.**

"Next time I will ride a Grimm so big it will put the Nevermore to shame!" Nora declares.

"Please don't." Ren is exhausted at the mere thought of having to deal with that.

"Any Grimm that big would be far to dangerous to ride." Pyrrha warns. "You would be best of, killing it or retreating."

"Don't underestimate me." Nora jokingly cautions them.

" **Awwww... It's broken." Nora groans as the Ursa starts to decompose.**

 **Nora dashes onto its neck and observes the carcass as Ren comes up behind her.**

 **Ren is panting and leaning on the monster. "Nora! Please... Don't ever do that again."**

 _'It only took a week for her to try it again.'_ Ren remembers. _'At least she hasn't made a similar stunt since then.'_

 **Ren looks up to see that Nora is gone. A pink dotted outline shows where she used to be.**

 **Nora is instead at the temple looking at a golden rook relic. "Oooohh." She grabs it and makes various poses while the background behind her shows her emblem. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" She sings.**

"And here we have a prefect example of what goes on in Nora's head." Ruby jokes.

"You will bow before me, offering pancakes as a holy meal!" Nora declares.

"Not a proper meal." Ren reminds her.

" **Nora!" Ren yells from of-screen.**

 **Nora stops dancing with the rook on her head, then salutes, dropping the relic into her hand. She leaves to join her friend.**

" **Did that girl just ride in on a Ursa?" Blake asks Yang.**

" **I…" Yang begins but is again interrupted. This time by the sound of the Death Stalker as it chases Pyrrha into the clearing.**

"Why do I keep getting interrupted?" Yang remembers how annoying it was at the time.

 **The Death Stalker attempts to grab Pyrrha, who dodges by jumping through its claws. "Jaune!" She yells, noticing him in the tree.**

" **Pyrrha!" Jaune responds, still stuck in the tree.**

" **Wow." Ruby looks at the Death Stalker and hops down from the tree to the temple.**

" **Ruby." Jaune misses the opportunity to ask for help.**

 _'I should have helped Jaune first.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Then again, I thought he could deal with it by himself.'_

 **Ruby lands in front of Yang and Blake.**

" **Ruby?" Yang is surprised by her sudden appearance.**

" **Yang!" Ruby raises her arms to give her sister a hug.**

" **Nora!" the girl herself yells, interrupting the sister as she suddenly appears between them, giving them both a shock.**

 _'Some day she's going to interrupt an important event, and I'm the one who will have to explain.'_ Ren sighs.

 **Pyrrha is shown still being chased by the Death Stalker in the nearby clearing.**

" **Did she just run all the way here with a death stalker on her tail?" Blake asks another question while Nora waves her body around having fun and Yang tries to keep in the built-up frustration.**

 **Yang figuratively explodes. "I can't take it anymore!" Her eyes turn red and you can visibly see the fires appear behind her. "Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"**

"But that's far too much to ask when we're all involved." Yang says, remembering what follows.

 **The ticking of a clock can be heard as Ren runs up to join Nora.**

 **The clock dings and Ruby decides to point out something to Yang "Um… Yang." She says, then points up.**

"That was two and a half seconds." Blake points out.

"We win!" Nora cries.

"I wasn't being literal." Yang complains.

 **Weiss is shown holding onto a talon as she flies through the air.**

" **How could you leave me?" Weiss screams as the perspective shifts to show that she is holding onto the talon of an enormous nevermore as it flies through the sky.**

"How did you end up holding the talon?" Jaune asks.

"Some of the feathers I was holding fell off." Weiss explains. "I was lucky enough to grab something before falling."

" **I said jump." Ruby replies as she Yang, Blake, Nora and Ren watch from below.**

" **She's gonna fall." Blake mentions.**

" **She'll be fine." Ruby answers.**

" **She's falling." Ren observes.**

 _'And this is were I make a fool of myself. Again.'_ Jaune thinks. _'How long will it be until we get to the parts where I was less of an idiot?'_

 **Jaune is shown having gotten himself up from the branch he was previously hanging from. He smiles seeing his opportunity to be a hero as Weiss is falling.**

 **Jaune jumps from his branch, catching Weiss mid-air.**

 **Jaune then realises that he didn't have a plan following this and the two fall to the ground with Weiss landing on Jaune's back.**

" **My hero." Weiss sarcastically comments as Pyrrha is seen in the background, still being chased by the Death Stalker.**

 _'Why don't they see what I can?'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Jaune is a good person, and that's more than I can say about one of us.'_ She glances over to Weiss.

" **My back." Jaune strains to speak.**

 **A smack is heard and Pyrrha is sent flying to the ground near Blake, Ren, Nora, Yang and Ruby.**

" **Great! The gangs all here, now we can all die together!" Yang comments.**

" **Not if I can help it." Ruby says as she charges towards the Death Stalker.**

"That was very reckless." Yang points out.

"I know, I get it!" Ruby complains. "Stop judging my past mistakes."

 _'The fact you know it was a mistake is the important part.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **Ruby! Wait!" Yang tries to warn her sister, but to no avail.**

 **Ruby fires her weapon behind her, using the recoil to attack to massive Grimm.**

 **Unfortunately Ruby's attempt fails and the Death Stalker swats her away with its armoured claws.**

" **D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!" Ruby says as she slowly gets up.**

 _'Not fine, not fine, not fine, not fine!'_ Ruby internally screams.

 **Ruby then turns to see the Grimm attack her. She quickly fires at it dealing no damage, but the recoil helps her get away as she runs to regroup with the others.**

" **Ruby!" Yang runs out to her sister in order to help.**

 **Ruby continues to run but the distance between them is large and the Nevermore is also chasing her.**

"Why didn't you use your Semblance?" Ren asks.

"I had trouble using it in times of high stress." Ruby explains.

"You mean you still do." Yang reminds her sister.

"Hey. I've gotten better." Ruby protests.

 **The Nevermore fires its massive feathers at Ruby and a couple of them hit her cape, causing her to stop, unable to get her cape free.**

 **Nevermore fires more feathers. This time blocking Yang's path to Ruby. Yang suddenly stops because of this.**

"Those Grimm must have existed for a while to use such teamwork." Weiss points out.

Pyrrha is about to agree but then stops herself.

Jaune doesn't fully understand, but decides not to ask. Doing so would take too much time and he doesn't want to seem any more inexperienced than the videos already show. _'I can always check the library for more info.'_

 **Ruby struggles to get her cape free. "Ruby get out of there!" Her sister calls desperately.**

" **I'm trying!" Ruby continues pulling at her cape.**

 **Ruby's stopping has given the Death Stalker time to catch up with her. It raises its tail, readying itself to deal a fatal blow to the young girl.**

" **Ruby!" Yang tries to reach through the feathers as a white blur travels past her.**

 _'I never did thank Weiss.'_ Yang thinks. _'Perhaps I should do so later.'_

 **As the Death Stalkers attack is about to land the screen goes black.**

" **You are so childish." Weiss's voice is heard.**

 **The screen fades in to show Ruby with the Death Stalkers sting near her, held in place by a wall of ice.**

" **Weiss?" Ruby asks as she is sat on the floor.**

" **And dim-witted, and hyperactive." Weiss continues, getting up from her knee to face Ruby. "And don't even get me started on your fighting style."**

"Hey!" Ruby protests. "I get the first two but don't insult my fighting style."

"You used to fight like you're the only one who could." Weiss argues. "You didn't think about giving others openings or working as a team."

Ruby pauses for a moment. "Fair enough, but I notice you talking in past tense."

"You have improved." Weiss says bluntly, choosing not to inflate her ego by saying how much.

" **And I suppose… I can be a bit…" Weiss tries to find the right word. "Difficult. But if we're going to do this. We're going to have to do this together. So if you quit trying to show off. I'll be… nicer."**

 _'Maybe I'm being too harsh.'_ Pyrrha reflects. _'It's not like we always mean what we think.'_

 **Ruby responds. "I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this."**

" **You're fine." Weiss replies, walking away.**

 **Ruby breathes a sigh of relief, then closes her eyes and clasps her hands as she gratefully whispers, "Normal knees."**

"You were still thinking about that?" Yang chuckles.

"I was just happy to gain a friend. Don't mock me." Ruby complains.

 **After getting up, Ruby looks around the wall of ice. "Wow" To see the Death Stalker with its right claw stuck in the ice making it unable to move.**

 _'Yes.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Stand in awe of my abilities.'_

 **Yang runs up to her sister and hugs her. "I'm so happy you're okay."**

 **The Nevermore is still flying in the air.**

" **Guys." Jaune points up to the flying Grimm. "That thing's circling back. What are we gonna do?"**

" **Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying." Weiss answers. "Our objective is right in front of us." All eight of them look over to the relics.**

" **She's right." Ruby agrees. "Our mission is to grab an artefact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."**

"Remember how long that lasted?" Nora jokes.

Many of them groaned at this comment. "We overestimated our abilities to evade them." Pyrrha says.

"What's important is that we worked as a team." Weiss says. "And that no one…" She glances a Ruby. "Charges into battle without a plan." Ruby gives a nervous laugh at this.

"That's quite the insightful comment coming from you." Yang mentions.

"What do you mean!?" Weiss protests. "I'm always insightful."

 _'Intelligence and insight are two very different things.'_ Blake thinks.

" **Run and live… that's an idea I can get behind!" Jaune also agrees. At this point everyone is in agreement.**

 _'I forgot how much of a coward he was.'_ Weiss is finding the agreement harder to follow.

 **Ruby grabs a Golden Knight piece and Jaune grabs a Golden Rook.**

 **Meanwhile the Death Stalker is starting to break free from the ice.**

 _'I should have frozen its other claw when I had the chance.'_ Weiss notices a past mistake.

 **Noticing this Ren declares to the group. "Time we left."**

" **Right." Ruby agrees. "let's go." She waves for the others to follow her.**

 **Yang stands still as the others follow.**

" **What is it?" Blake asks Yang, to find that she is staring proudly at Ruby as she leaps on a boulder and motions the group onward.**

" **Nothing." Yang smiles as she decides to catch up with the others. Blake follows shortly behind.**

"You thought I looked cool!" Ruby is visibly excited.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Yang plays oblivious.

"Admit it!" Ruby refuses to let this go. "You thought I looked awesome. It's so great seeing ourselves like this. It's like watching those videos of Hunters, but it's us!" At this point Ruby is literally jumping up and down on the sofa.

"Remember your plan to ride the Nevermore." Blake bluntly states. However Ruby just ignores her and continues.

 **The scene changes to show the group has left the forest and entered a different set of abandoned structures. The Nevermore is still circling them.**

 **As they move forwards they eventually hide behind some pillars near a bridge that leads to a large tower the Nevermore is using as a perch. The flying Grimm screeches at them, making it clear that it knows where they are.**

" **Well that's great." Yang comments from behind the same pillar as Ruby.**

 _'How did we avoid getting hit by it's feathers when we made our way to the bridge?'_ Yang tries to remember but she can't recall all the details.

 **Behind the group the Death Stalker charges out of the forest, assumedly having followed them there.**

" **Oh man run!" Jaune gives the order as he and Pyrrha charge to the next pillar.**

At this point two people get very different impressions from Jaune's order. Weiss thinks that Jaune is being a coward. Pyrrha on the other hand thinks of it as Jaune taking charge and leading them to a better position.

 **Ruby and Yang follow suit and Ren decides they all need cover. "Nora distract it." He tells his partner.**

 **Nora and Ren charge into the clearing between pillars and the former dodges a volley of feathers from the Nevermore. She takes out her weapon and uses the grenade launcher to barrage the flying Grimm, preventing it from attacking the others as they approach the bridge.**

 _'So that's how we made it.'_ Yang mentally snaps her fingers. _'I don't think I even noticed at the time.'_

 **From behind the Death Stalker charges to attack Nora while she is firing her weapon. Fortunately Blake and Ren counter its attacks for her and Weiss uses her semblance to put some distance between them and the monster.**

"Is anyone else surprised at how well we were able to work together despite never fighting together before?" Blake asks.

Now that it's been mentioned they do find it very weird. Fortunately the combat expert among them decides to explain.

"It's about understanding the flow of a battle and the intent behind someone's actions." Pyrrha says. "Most fighting schools teaches this to you without you noticing and it helps in a range of situations."

The others are all surprised by this information but understand how true it can be. However this does get one of them thinking.

 _'I never attended a combat school and unlike Ren and Nora I didn't fight with a teammate. So how come I understand what to do in these situations. What does that mean?'_ Jaune ponders this for some time while his partner already has an answer.

 _'It means you're a strategic genius.'_ Pyrrha is very happy for her partner.

" **Go, go!" Pyrrha yells as she makes it to the bridge. She takes out her weapon in rifle form and fires at the armoured Grimm following them.**

 **Blake and Ren narrowly make it to the bridge before the monster and together the entire group cross. The Death Stalker is unable to follow them due to the small width of the bridge.**

"Not that I'm complaining but why didn't it follow us?" Ruby asks. "It could have taken out the bridge and us along with it."

Weiss jumps at the chance to share her superior knowledge. "It knew that most if not all of us would be able to recover from the fallen bridge. And Grimm that old have a tendency to value survival, that way they can kill more people later on."

 **Unfortunately the group weren't out of danger yet as the Nevermore flies into the bridge, knocking out the middle section.**

Weiss continues. "The nevermore on the other hand could destroy the bridge without any of those negatives."

 **Jaune, Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Nora end up on the tower side of the bridge while the others have to defend themselves against the Death Stalker while standing on a very small segment of bridge.**

 **Blake is knocked back by the massive foe as the others struggle with keeping it at bay.**

 _'They didn't have enough room to fight in and none of them have the physical strength to pierce it's armour. They need help.'_ Jaune relives the thoughts he had at the time.

" **Man, we've got to get over there." Jaune says, worried that the three of them won't be enough. "They need help!"**

" **Let's do this." Nora agrees, standing beside him.**

" **Yeah, but, uh... I can't make that jump." Jaune looms over at the massive gap between them.**

Nora smiles, having fond memories of the stunt she pills next.

 **Nora chuckles at this, knocking Jaune back a bit as she changes her weapon into a hammer. She jumps into the air and hits the end of the broken bridge. This causes the part Jaune is standing on to jolt upwards, launching the young man to the other side.**

" **Oh, wait. No, no, no!" Jaune yells as he flies through the air.**

"There really was no other way of getting there." Jaune grumbles so that only his teammates and Blake could hear. Seeing the events again helps him understand why the situation better, even if he doesn't like the conclusion.

 **Nora stands on her hammer as the bridge bellow her crumbles. She fires the weapon so that the recoil sends her forward towards the Death Stalker.**

 **As Nora arrives she slams her hammer into the beasts head. The Grimm retaliates by striking its pincer at her that she quickly jumps back from.**

"I am so awesome!" Nora cheers for herself.

 **Unfortunately Nora's evasive manoeuvre causes her to knock into Blake, sending the black-haired girl of the bridge and into the foggy pit below the bridge.**

"Still think you're so good now?" Blake asks.

Nora laughs nervously. "You're perfectly capable of dealing with something like that."

 _'You didn't know that.'_ Blake thinks, but decides not to push the subject.

 **Thinking quickly, Blake uses her weapon as a whip to swing herself up. As she does so she notices the Nevermore flying around them. She decides to swing herself up towards the Grimm and uses her Semblance to gain the extra height needed. Once she reaches it she strikes at its face then runs across its back hitting it as she does so. Finally she jumps down and lands near the top of the tower where her soon to be teammates are standing.**

"See!" Nora fakes an arrogant attitude. "I helped. If anything you should be thanking me."

" **It's tougher than it looks." Blake reports what she learnt from her stunt.**

" **Then let's hit it with everything we've got!" Yang replies as she readies Ember Celica.**

 **The Nevermore flies back at them as the girls ready their weapons and music starts playing in the background.**

"Another song!" Ruby rejoiced.

"I was wondering if we would get one outside of the trailers and end of videos." Pyrrha says.

"What do you think it's about!" Ruby isn't even sitting at this point.

"Perhaps if we let it play we may find out." Ren says.

 **The girls each fire their ranged weapons as the Nevermore gets closer. The barrage of weapons don't work as the Grimm flies through the tower, knocking out the supports that keep the girls up.**

 **Each of the girls climb the rubble as it falls, Weiss using her Glyphs and Ruby using recoil to get herself higher.**

 _'Everything seems so flashy.'_ Ren thinks. _'It's as if the purpose is to entertain rather that inform.'_

" **None of this is working." Weiss observes as she and Ruby get themselves on a platform together.**

 **Ruby looks over at Blake's weapon in it's whip form and Yang keeping the Grim occupied. "I have a plan." She tells Weiss. "Cover me."**

"Quick thinking considering how you just saw my weapon." Blake mentions.

Pyrrha interrupts. "That's probably why she was made leader. Ozpin likely values strategy very highly when considering leadership roles."

Jaune smiles, seeing the hidden meaning in Pyrrha's words.

 _'I admit it may be a factor, but Ozpin clearly had her in mind from the beginning.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Meanwhile the to be members of JNPR are still fighting the Death Stalker. The armoured Grimm uses its tail to stab the closer part of the bridge. This unbalances the team as the remaining part is only balancing on a single pillar.**

" **We gotta move!" Jaune tells the others. So they all charge at the Grimm.**

"First fight and you're already taking the role of leader." Nora comments, winking at Pyrrha.

"I just made an observation." Jaune retorts _'It's not that big of a deal.'_

 **First the Grimm attacks with its right claw but this is blocked by Pyrrha who then uses her sword to cut at it. Next it attacks with its left claw, but Jaune follows Pyrrha's example by blocking it and then the girl in question follows up for him.**

 _'Wow.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Pyrrha's right about the flow of a battle. She broadcasted her intent non-verbally and I was able to easily pick up on what to do next.'_

 **Ren fires his weapons at the beast, causing it to lunge its tail at him. Ren swiftly dodges it and climbs onto the tail as it ascends, giving him a good vantage point to fire his guns.**

 _'That was a mistake.'_ Ren thinks to himself. _'I still remember how painful it was on my back.'_

 **Nora fires her explosives at the Death Stalker as it pushes Jaune and Pyrrha away. Recovering quickly Pyrrha throws her spear at one of the monsters eyes, causing it to shake in pain. This shaking causes its tail to launch Ren into a wall behind it.**

" **Ren!" Nora cries.**

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologises.

"It would have likely happened anyway." Ren says in an attempt to make her feel less guilty.

 **Jaune gets up, having recovered from the earlier attack. As he does so he notices the stinger is loose and could fall at any moment. "Pyrrha!" He yells, indicating at the stinger.**

" **Done!" Pyrrha throws her shield at the stinger causing it to fall and dig into the Grimm's head. Strangely, the shield bounces back in an unnatural way and returns to its owner.**

" **Nora, nail it." Jaune gives the command.**

 _'I really was taking charge.'_ Jaune is surprised he did so even before being named leader.

" **Heads up." Nora replies as she jumps onto Pyrrha's shield, which is being held above the girls head, and fires her weapon as Pyrrha jumps. This causes Nora to be launched high into the air, and she smiles the entire way.**

 _'Ever the gleeful girl.'_ Ren smiles at Nora's antics. _'I never even got to see how we beat it in the end though, of course Nora was heavily involved.'_

 **As she descends she fires again to gain some speed and starts spinning. When she reaches the ground she smashes her hammer into the stinger, embedding it deep into the monsters head.**

 **The impact from the strike causes Pyrrha, Jaune and Nora to be launched away from the bridge and onto solid ground. But as they are doing so, Pyrrha retrieves her spear from the Grimm that then falls into the foggy pit, never to be seen again.**

 **The four recover from the ordeal. Ren especially out of breath as he collapses on his face.**

"We all know who the star of the show was there." Ruby points out. "Well done Jaune."

"Really guys. It was nothing." Jaune replies humbly.

"It would have taken much longer for us to take it down without your help." Pyrrha compliments.

"Death Stalkers are known for their physical endurance." Ren remind his leader.

 _'He barely did anything!'_ Weiss screams in her head. _'All he did was think of a simple strategy that even I could think of with enough time… probably.'_

 **The music changes so the lyrics can be heard.**

 ** _"I couldn't take it, couldn't stand another minute."_**

 ** _"Couldn't bear another day without you in it."_**

 ** _"All of the joy that I had known for all my life."_**

 ** _"Was stripped away from me the minute that you died."_**

"That's weird." Blake says.

"The music seems so upbeat." Ren notices. "But the lyrics are really sad."

"Anyone know who it refers to?" Jaune asks.

Everyone shakes their head or replies no, other than Ruby who is now sat down and not really listening to the others. But no one notices this.

 _'It couldn't be.'_ The young girl thinks. _'Why would it bring up something like that now.'_

 **The Nevermore is still fighting the soon to be RWBY members. Yang is firing her weapon from the top of a pillar. As the bird flies at her she jumps at it and stands inside its mouth as she empties her rounds. "I! Hope! You're! Hung... gry!" she yells.**

"That may be going to far." Pyrrha says.

"It's just a Grimm, who cares?" Yang responds.

Blake tenses up at the almost familiar phrase. _'Grimm don't have souls or the ability to be good, I'm sure she would never think along those lines otherwise.'_

 **Yang then jumps own to the ground as the Nevermore crashes into the cliff, landing on some ruins.**

 **As the Grimm try's to take flight again Weiss rushes in as Yang retreats. The heiress freezes the beasts tail to the ruins, making it unable to move.**

 **Weiss backs out using her glyphs while Blake and Yang use the Gambol Shroud to create a slingshot out of the nearby pillars.**

"You were luck that my weapon has a spring to it, otherwise we wouldn't be able to launch you very far or fast." Blake says.

"I knew it would work." Ruby replies. "I've studied weapons and their properties more than most blacksmiths. I can tell what a weapon is capable of." She then gets back to listening to the lyrics.

 **Ruby jumps into the slingshot, using her scythe as a foothold while Weiss uses her glyphs to draw the younger girl back.**

" **Of course you would come up with this idea." Weiss comments.**

" **Think you can make the shot?" Ruby asks.**

 **Weiss smiles confidently and replies sarcastically "Can I."**

 **Ruby doesn't pick up on the sarcasm and after a moment asks "Can yo…?"**

" **Of course I can!" Weiss interrupts.**

"You should have easily picked up on that." Weiss says to Ruby.

"Battle isn't a place for misunderstandings." Ruby plainly responds. "Never give an ambiguous answer during a fight."

 **As Ruby loads her weapon the glyph turns red and Weiss releases it sending Ruby flying at the Nevermore.**

 ** _"Red like roses."_** **Ruby fires crescent rose to accelerate herself and when she reaches the beast she catches its neck with her scythe, sending them both into the cliff.**

 _'So it is about mom.'_ Ruby deduces, listening to the lyrics. Yang also comes to this conclusion and the others can tell it relates to Ruby.

 ** _"Fills my head with dreams and finds me."_** **Weiss raises her sword and creates a series of white circles up the wall, which Ruby dashes through by firing the entire way up.**

 _'That wasn't even part of the original plan.'_ Weiss thinks. _'We had to improvise when the launch wasn't enough to decapitate the stupid bird.'_

 ** _"Always closer, to the emptiness and sadness that has come to take the place of you."_** **Yang, Blake, and an exhausted Weiss watch her climb up with the bird in her grasp until, both warrior and monster crying out, Ruby reaches the top of the cliff, circles up, fires one last shot, and rends the Nevermore's head from its shoulders in a shower of petals.**

"Ruby? Is there anything you want to talk about?" Pyrrha asks, referring to the song lyrics.

Ruby dips her head before responding. "It's fine. I came to terms with it a long time ago."

"Don't hesitate to talk to someone." Jaune follows up on what Pyrrha said. "We're your friends. You can trust us."

"Thanks but it's okay." Ruby smiles at them. "I'm fine."

 **Ruby lands beside the severed head as the body of the giant Nevermore falls lifeless to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch in amazement.**

" **Wow." Jaune remarks as they all look up to see Ruby standing at the top of the cliff, rose petals trailing out from her cape.**

" **Well." Yang looks to Weiss and Blake who stand beside her. "That was a thing." She jokes.**

"This is why we're considered the best first years in the entirety of Beacon!" Nora gloats.

"No need to be arrogant." Ren tries to calm her down.

"We have already saved the day many times, and not even graduated yet. Right Ruby?" Nora continues.

Ruby smiles at this but doesn't say anything. Yang looks at her sister, surprised she isn't jumping up and down in agreement.

 **The scene cuts to the auditorium where Ozpin is announcing the teams. "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" The audience claps to applaud them.**

"Why do we have to see them?" Pyrrha complains.

"They were the ones to have their team formed directly before ours, so it's likely a way of showing the setting." Weiss proposes.

Pyrrha doesn't reply, instead looking back to the screen.

 _'That's weird.'_ Jaune notices. _'Normally Pyrrha would agree and support Weiss's conjecture.'_

 **Team CRDL leave the stage and are replaced by the next group. "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie." Ozpin says their names as they stand before him. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR."**

 **More clapping as the new team smiles and Nora hugs Ren.**

"Best. Team. Ever!" Nora declares.

"Really?" Yang asks accusingly. "Why don't we have another team on team match to determine that?" She claps her right knuckle into her other hand.

"This isn't the time for fighting." Weiss complains. "We can deal with training some other time."

"Actually, I was thinking." Jaune interjects. "The note said that time doesn't pass in this space. Wouldn't that make this the perfect place to practice?" _'I would be able to really catch up with the others using a place like this.'_

"Do you honestly believe that?" Weiss replies with a mocking tone. "There is no way something like that could ever happen."

"We are watching videos of the past with the expectation of seeing the future eventually." Ren reminds her.

"I'm sure there is a logical explanation for all of this." Weiss retorts. "Perhaps an unusual semblance or something along those lines."

"This might be a good time to point out…" Yang indicates to the wall behind them. "That wall is indestructible. I have tried everything, and nothing can even scratch it."

"Several semblances then!" Weiss yells _'I refuse to believe in something like magic until I have clear proof and an explanation.'_

" **Lead by." Ozpin continues. "Jaune Arc." This surprises Jaune.**

" **L-Led by?" Jaune nervously repeats while Pyrrha smiles at him.**

" **Congratulations young man." Ozpin says.**

 **Pyrrha bumps Jaune on the arm in congratulations, unfortunately Jaune wasn't ready for this and ended up being pushed to the ground. Laughter is heard from the audience.**

Weiss snorts at this, causing Pyrrha to glare at her with an uncommon level of malice for the girl.

 _'Why is she like this to me?'_ Weiss is slightly hurt.

" **And finally. Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin announces the last team as JNPR leaves the stage and are replaced by the aforementioned girls. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY." The audience cheers again.**

" **Lead by… Ruby rose." Ozpin says as Weiss and Ruby have shocked expression, for different reasons.**

" **I'm so proud of you!" Yang hugs her sister and new leader.**

"And I still am." Present Yang hugs her sister with one arm.

Ruby just smiles at this rather than act embarrassed or get excited.

" **It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year." Ozpin states as the perspective raises to the sky, where the shattered moon can be seen amidst the clouds.**

"The end!" Nora predicts.

 **The clouds change, and the sky turns dark, signifying a change of place and time. The perspective zooms out so show the moon was being seen through a window. As the view shifts to show to contents of the new building Torchwick is seen standing in front of a map.**

"Not the end. Not the end!" Nora half panics at this new scene while Ren scrambles to get his notebook and pen.

 **Torchwick is on the phone… But then he slams it into the table in front of him, ending the call. He sighs and lights his cigarette.**

 **A man in a grey mask and black hood comes with a trolley. Roman hands over some lien as payment.**

 _'So he was already with the White Fang at this point.'_ Blake grips the armrest tightly.

" **Open it." Torchwick commands. The other man does so to reveal an assortment of differently coloured Dust crystals.**

 _'What is so important about Dust?'_ Ren wonders, writing it down.

 **Torchwick picks one up. "We're gonna need more men." The perspective shifts to the map behind him. It is a map of Vale with hand written annotations of the important areas such as Forever Fall, Commercial District and Beacon.**

 **The Video ends to _Red like roses part 2._ But this time the entire song plays.**

"So?" Nora asks. "Next video?"

"I think now would be a good time for another break." Jaune says to everyone. "What does everyone else think?"

"That sounds great." Pyrrha is happy at the suggestion.

"Yeah." Yang also agrees.

One by one everyone agrees to this until finally it is Ruby's turn.

"Mnnn hmnn." Ruby hums in affirmation. Not breaking her concentration from the lyrics.

 ** _"I know you didn't plan this. You tried to do what's right."_**

"Okay then. I'll make us all some food, should be ready in half an hour. Anyone care to help?" Jaune asks.

"I'll help." Ren offers, having finished his notes.

"Me too." Nora says, with no intention of actually increasing the amount of food.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asks his partner.

"I…" Pyrrha looks to the back door. "…Have some things to deal with."

Jaune nods. _'Maybe she needs some space.'_

* * *

RWBY dorm room

Yang enters the room, sweating heavily after a workout in one of the training halls.

"Hey sis, how you doing?" Yang asks as she sees Ruby up in her bed.

No response.

"Sis?"

Still no response.

Yang climbs onto the bed to see that her sister has her headphones on and dark shadows under her eyes. She forces the headphones off. To the immediate surprise of Ruby.

"Hey, I was listening to something!" Ruby yells.

"What's wrong?" Yang ignores Ruby's outburst and sits next to her sister.

"Nothing!" Ruby protests. "I'm fine! Why does everyone think something is wrong?!"

"I know you better than anyone, and you are not okay." Yang reminds her. "So what's wrong?"

Ruby looks to her scroll for a bit then to her headphones. "Listen to this." She answers timidly, unplugging the headphones.

 **Red like roses part 2 plays**

Yang listens for a while. "I don't see why this would make yo…"

 ** _"I know you're broken down by anger and by sadness._**

 ** _You feel I left you in a world that's full of madness._**

 ** _Wish I could talk to you if only for a minute._**

 ** _Make you understand the reasons why I did it."_**

Yang pauses in shock for a moment. "Is that…"

"It's not mom's voice." Ruby replies then wipes her eyes. "I'm sure of that… But even so, I think it's meant to represent her."

"Then this is...?" Yang asks.

"Mom's thoughts." Ruby finishes. "It's almost like we can talk to her again."

Yang is shocked at this revelation. "I still don't understand what's wrong. Normally you would be excited to hear something like this."

"Just wait." Ruby explains.

 ** _"I know you've lived a nightmare._**

 ** _I caused you so much pain._**

 ** _But, baby, please don't do what I did._**

 ** _I don't want you to waste your life in vain."_**

"Would mom really not want me to be a Huntress?" Ruby sobs.

"I don't…" Yang tries to answer.

"I always thought she would be proud of me!" Ruby weeps. "I thought she would be glad that I'm trying to help people…"

"That's not it!" Yang yells at her sister.

"But in the music, she…"

"I'm sure she's just worried for you!" Yang declares. "If she could see you now, I'm sure she would be proud. But…"

Yang tries to find the right words.

"When dad found out you were moving ahead two years he kept repeating how proud he is of you." Yang tells Ruby. "But after you went to bed he went to my room and had me make a promise. I promised that I would make sure nothing bad happens to you. He was worried about you because you're his daughter. I'm sure mom would feel the same way."

Ruby's eyes light up at this. "I'm sure mom would be really worried after finding out about our involvement in The Breach." Despite her words she smiles earnestly.

"I'm sure she would." Yang agrees. "But afterwards she would say how proud she is of how we helped save people."

"Yeah." Ruby smiles.

* * *

In one of the training rooms

Pyrrha is fighting against some dummies, interestingly enough this place has imitation soldiers for the use of training.

Pyrrha breaks of the arm of one as it tries to strike at her. She then flips herself over its back before lunging her spear into its chest and deactivating it.

"Hey Pyrrha." Jaune enters. "I brought you some food."

Pyrrha continues fighting without noticing Jaune.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yells to get her attention as she beats the last soldier.

"Oh." Pyrrha smiles as she walks up to him. "Hi Jaune, how are you?"

"I should be asking you." Jaune says.

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Pyrrha looks over her body for any injuries.

"You weren't there for the meal." Jaune points out. "That's not like you at all."

"I was just busy training. Speaking of, why don't we go over some of your stances together?" She offers.

Jaune looks over at the pile of destroyed dummies. Some of them look like they were hit even after deactivating. "It's something to do with Weiss, right?"

"What do you mean, is she hurt?" Pyrrha avoids the question.

"You haven't responded to anything she's said. Except that time you glared at her." Jaune sits on one of the benches. "What's wrong?"

Pyrrha sighs, sitting next to Jaune. "We are friends, right?"

"Of course!" Jaune responds. "With everything you've done for me I…"

"I mean me and Weiss." Pyrrha interrupts. "Remember in the video, when we saw her past thoughts. She sounded like one of those people who would put me on a pedestal and use me for their own goals."

"I'm sure she was just…" Jaune starts.

"I know she may have been joking, but it still hurts to hear something like that." Pyrrha looks down at her lap.

Jaune takes a deep breath. "Remember back when I was trying to date her." Pyrrha groans at the memories. "I know, I know. I was being an idiot. But even still. Every now and then I would see a different side to her that was a kind and sweet girl who cares about her friends."

Jaune decides to hold Pyrrha's hand. "Remember you're not the only one who was placed on a pedestal. I'm sure she has her own problems. So why don't you hold back on judging her until we've seen more."

Pyrrha smiles, nodding her head at this idea. "Okay, thanks for the advice."

"Now come on." Jaune stands up, pulling Pyrrha with him. "Your meal is getting cold."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **In this chapter I decided to avoid looking at the transcripts completely. I failed but very little has been copied (mostly just the lines that people say). Do you prefer this, or do you want the way I did in the previous chapter? This chapter did take longer since I was writing it myself and the quality might not be as good.**

 **Speaking of creative liberties I make have removed a couple lines from the original since I dislike that scene. If you can tell what it is and think that I should put it back in, then please tell me. I will not be changing anything story important and in terms of fight scenes I don't plan on making any changes until volume 5 and that is just to have things make more scene. (In a fight, the participants should never have a lengthy conversation unless one side is immobilised and the other wants to talk.**

 **I also added the fact that an Ursa decomposes since it not doing so in the original doesn't follow cannon.**

 **This should be my new biggest chapter. I would like to say that the length and the writing it myself are the reasons for it taking a while, or that I've been busy with important work. Truth is that I was procrastinating. But I think this is fine. Remember if I go into unannounced hiatus for over a month then I would very much like for someone to take over from me.**

 **This chapter also had a couple of scenes that are supposed to be emotional. I'm sure I made some kind of mistake during this so could you please tell me how to improve those scenes.**

 **For those who were wondering about the code at the end of last chapter. This is my way of finding out which reviewers have read the authors notes. Don't make a review just to repeat the quote as I don't want the review count to be artificially inflated. That said, the code for this chapter is "Why is my present a boy!?" if you know what this is a reference to then well done (this is a hard one) make a similar reference to that series.**


	11. V1: C6: The Badge and The Burden

**A /N**

 **It seems many people have been looking forward to next chapter, I hope I will be able to deliver.**

 **In response to someone saying the previous code makes them think of slavery. It actually refers to adoption in one of the greatest games ever (in my opinion) Trails in the sky.**

 **Someone made a review saying the world of remnant videos are all retconned. I could not find any evidence of this so could someone please confirm either way.**

 **Regarding bringing in more people to the viewing. I have plans to bring in some people but not many. Also I will only do so at the end of a volume. Who I introduce is limited to certain criteria: they must have continued relevance in the story, they must not be against team RWBY in any way, they must not have any knowledge that would compromise the viewing, they should not be full adults yet, and we must have enough info on them to understand their personality. This means no Qrow, Ozpin or Glynda and CFVY are unlikely to appear given the shows current direction.**

* * *

By the time everyone was back in the viewing room to watch the next video it was already mid-afternoon. At least from their perspective, in truth the only method they have is the times on their original scrolls.

Before she sat down Weiss grabbed Yang's arm and leaned in to whisper something without anyone else listening. "Did you deal with whatever was going on with Ruby?"

Yang glances at her sister who sitting down on the sofa readying a few of the snacks they'll be having. "I think so, there is a chance that she might be a bit quiet for a while, but it's Ruby, I'm sure she'll bounce back eventually."

"What was it even about?" Weiss asks. _'If there's something troubling her then I should be there to help.'_

"Don't worry about it." Yang reassures her, "It's more of a family matter."

Blake smiled, having overheard the entire conversation, it was good to know that her friends would be able to handle it.

Once they are all sat down Ren reaches to take the remote. But it's snatched by Nora before he can get a firm grip.

"Too slow." Nora mocks, as she starts the next video.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 6: The Badge and The Burden**

"Ohhh dear." Weiss mutters. She has a pretty good idea as to what may be shown next.

Meanwhile Jaune is thinking about if it may relate to his conflict with Cardin. _'It would make some sense.'_ He thinks, not entirely sure of it.

 **The opening ends to the window overlooking Beacon Academy from the new room of Team RWBY, panning over to Weiss sleeping soundly in her bed. Her eyes flutter open and she stretches her arms above herself, yawning.**

"I think I remember what comes next." Weiss gives a light-hearted glare in Ruby's direction. Ruby just shrugs in response.

 **Ruby, dressed in her school uniform, still with her signature cape, creeps up on her side and suddenly blows a whistle, causing Weiss to fall off the bed.**

"I'm sure you could have found a better way to wake us all up." Weiss complains.

"You were the only one still asleep." Yang comments.

"It's surprising you could sleep through Yang being so loud in the morning." Blake mentions, only to receive a nudge from her partner in response.

"It was a busy day before that and I didn't get much sleep beforehand." Weiss desperately tries to defend herself.

" **Good morning, team RWBY!" Ruby greets everyone enthusiastically.**

" **What in the world is wrong with you?" Weiss responds from the floor.**

 **Ruby ignores the question. "Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business."**

 **"Excuse me?" Weiss asks, brushing the dust off of her arms as she gets up.**

"Yes!" Nora chuckles manically. "Show us the secret plans you have hidden from us."

" **Decorating!" Yang is shown standing next to Blake, both in school uniforms and Yang holding an assortment of random items.**

" **What?!" Weiss responds.**

"Aww…" Nora's shoulders drop at the disappointing reveal.

 **Blake lifts up her suitcase. "We still have to unpack." The suitcase opens, spilling its contents. "And clean."**

 **Weiss glares at them, clearly frustrated, but is then suddenly taken off her feet as Ruby blows her whistle in her face.**

"That was unnecessary." Weiss says.

"Are we going to complain about every little thing?" Pyrrha tries to alleviate the tension.

Team RWBY look at each other for a bit. "I guess you're right." Weiss answers. _'Don't want others to have reason to make fun of me later.'_

" **Alright!" Ruby stands in front of the door. "Weiss, Blake, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission. Banzai!" She raises her fist in the air.**

" **Banzai!" Yang and Blake stand either side of Ruby, doing the same pose.**

 **Once again on the floor, Weiss sighs at her teammates antics.**

 _'I guess this has nothing to do with me.'_ Jaune is relieved. _'Maybe we won't see it at all.'_

 **Upbeat montage music plays as team RWBY start decorating.**

 **Yang puts up a poster of a boy band. Weiss, now in uniform, positions the painting of the Forever Fall forest to perfection and walks away. Blake is putting her books on the shelves, including a copy of 'Ninjas of Love' which causes her to glance around to make sure no one sees it.**

"What's that about?" Ruby asks Blake, oblivious to the indication.

Blake blushes. "It's…"

"Nothing we need to worry about." Yang quickly interrupts. She then turns to Blake and whispers. "We will talk about this later."

 **Ruby uses the end of Crescent Rose to hand up the curtains. But once finished, as she turns around she accidentally slashes the bottom section of the curtains.**

"I wondered how that happened." Jaune says.

"It was an accident!" Ruby whinges.

"And here I was thinking it was to make the place look cool." Nora sighs.

 **The perspective pans around the room, showing the different things that have been put up. Including the curtains that are sown back together.**

 **However when the full view is shown several beds can be seen crammed together in the centre of the room to make space. The montage music ends abruptly.**

"How did that even happen?" Jaune asks.

"I honestly have no idea." Ruby comments, her teammates nodding in agreement.

" **This isn't going to work." Weiss comments on the state of the room.**

 **"It is a bit cramped." Blake admits**

 **"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff..." Yang proposes.**

"I'm sure you could still fit the beds if you placed them properly." Pyrrha comments.

"Not if we wanted anywhere to stand." Yang points out.

 **"Or we could ditch the beds..." Ruby's mood suddenly picks up. "…and replace them with bunk beds!"**

 **"Umm, that sounds incredibly dangerous." Weiss warns.**

 **"And super-awesome!" Yang counters.**

 **"It does seem efficient." Blake says.**

 **"Well, we should put it to a vote!" Weiss looks for a way out.**

 **"I think we just did." Ruby points out.**

A small laugh can be heard from Weiss. "I'm glad we decided to go through with it."

 **The girls rush of screen, setting up the bunkbeds as sounds of jackhammering and sawing are heard.**

"What were you doing?" Ren is startled by the construction noises.

"I…don't remember… any of those noises." Ruby comments.

"Definitely not." Weiss agrees.

"I think it was added for comedic effect." Jaune sounds uncertain as he says so.

"Does this mean we can't trust the future events?" Ren asks.

"I think as long as it's in a serious setting then we can trust it." Jaune replies.

 **The girls appear back in the front of the room.**

" **Objective: Complete!" Ruby announces.**

 **While Weiss' bed is simply on the ground next to her art and luggage, Blake's bed is next to her books, which are used to raise Yang's bed over it by placing the novels on the posts, and Ruby's is hanging from ropes on the ceiling with a blanket used as a tent over it.**

"You certainly know how to make a place feel like home." Pyrrha comments.

"We once tried moving some of the shelves, but in the end, we liked everything the way it was." Blake says.

"How do you get to the books between the beds?" Ren asks.

"We don't." Yang replies. "Those books aren't very useful."

 **"Alright!" Ruby yells "Our second order of business is...!" The room spins until she lands on her bed and a book lands in her lap "Classes..." She pulls out a pencil. "Now, we have a few classes together today. At 9, we've got to be…"**

 **"What?! Did you say 9 o'clock?" Weiss interrupts.**

" **Umm." Ruby responds.**

" **It's 8:55, you dunce!" Weiss tells them all as she turns around to run out of the door.**

"Hey!" Yang is slightly pissed. "Don't call my sister a dunce!"

"It's okay Yang." Ruby tries to calm her sister. "We worked things out."

 **Outside the corridor Weiss runs off as Ruby Blake and Yang peer out from the door. On the other side of the corridor the members of JNPR are doing the same.**

" **To class!" Ruby declares after a short mental stumble. She runs, following Weiss, as Blake and Yang follow her.**

" **Class?" Jaune questions, just before the rest of his team falls over on him. "We're gonna be late!" He yells as he runs after team RWBY, shortly followed by the rest of JNPR.**

"We never did thank you guys for that." Jaune says.

"For what?" Ruby asks.

"We would have been late if you hadn't been so loud." Jaune replies.

"That was never our intention, but thanks." Blake says.

 **In the courtyard the students are all running to class as Glynda and Ozpin watch from the side. Glynda checks her watch and Ozpin simply sips his coffee.**

"They were there!" Yang is surprised.

"Did anyone notice them?" Ren asks.

Everyone shakes their head or shrugs.

"I think we were to worried about getting to class." Weiss points out.

"We did only just make it." Blake comments.

 **The sight of an axe-blunderbuss weapon pans down to the boards displaying various species of Grimm (King Taijitu, Death Stalker, Beowolf, Boarbatusk, Nevermore, and Ursa) behind the teacher, Peter Port.**

 **"Monsters! Daemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!" Professor Port begins the lecture. Ruby is shown half asleep until woken by the bad joke.**

Weiss is about to comment on Ruby sleeping in class, but then closes her mouth, choosing not to.

"Why do some teachers have to insist on being cool?" Yang asks rhetorically. "It never works."

"I believe that's just his personality." Pyrrha mentions.

 **"And you shall too." Port continues while pacing in front of the class. "Upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..." he winks at the girls which causes Yang to groan.**

"Urgh!" Present Yang groans as well, "That is so creepy! Why does he have to do that?"

 **"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves!" Port says. "From what, you ask? Why, the very world!" He raises his fist in a triumphant gesture. One student copies this action while cheering, but then backs down when everyone looks at him strangely.**

 _'So glad I had the common sense not to do that.'_ Jaune thinks.

 **"That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man..." Port begins his tale. "Me! When I was a boy..."**

 **Ports voice fades into the background and all that can be heard is him repetitively spouting incomprehensible nonsense.**

"Ha!" Nora laughs. "That's exactly what I hear when he spouts one of his insane stories."

"You're one to talk." Yang counters.

"My stories are at least entertaining!" Nora points at Yang accusingly.

 **Weiss looks over her shoulder to notice Ruby's putting pencil to paper in erratic ways.**

 **"...Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man." Port can be heard for a moment "Peter, he told me..."**

"He can be a good teacher on occasion but still…" Weiss complains. "We barely learn anything!"

"Most Hunters would rather not spend their time teaching." Ren explains. "This caused the academies to be relatively understaffed in the past. So they added many incentives to be a teacher that lead to some… less skilled teachers being hired."

 **Ports speech fades again as Ruby chuckles at her creation and shows it to her teammates: a ball-with-limbs-and-a-head drawing of the teacher with stink lines coming from him and "Professor Poop" written underneath. Ruby blows a quick raspberry. Blake and Yang laugh, but Weiss looks annoyed.**

"Don't let me find you doing that in class again." Weiss turns her eyes to Ruby.

"I won't!" Ruby quickly responds.

"You mean you won't do it, or that you wont get caught?" Nora asks.

"I won't do it." Ruby clarifies.

 **"Ah-heh-hem!" Port gets everyone's attention "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!"**

 _'A single Beowolf?'_ Yang thinks. _'That doesn't sound too impressive. Unless it was an alpha… wait no. If he captured it I suppose it was impressive.'_

 **The teacher takes a bow as Weiss slowly gets more and more frustrated with Ruby's antics.**

 **The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honourable!" Port concludes. Ruby is balancing an apple on a book with her pencil held only by her finger while making a silly face.**

Ruby shrinks back into the sofa.

 **"A true Huntsman must be dependable!" Port continues. Ruby has fallen asleep again in the first class of the year.**

A small laugh can be heard from some of the others.

 **"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!" Port finishes. Ruby is not-so-subtly picking her nose, making Weiss start shaking in anger.**

Ruby pulls her hood over her head, trying to hide her flustered expression from the others.

" **So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Port asks the students.**

 **Weiss still looks angry as she raises her hand "I do, sir!"**

 _'A bit arrogant.'_ Blake thinks.

 **"Well, then, let's find out!" Port turns to gesture at the glowing red eyes surrounded by shadow shaking the cage that traps it. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"**

 **The unknown monster continues to growl.**

Surprisingly, Weiss takes this opportunity to speak to everyone. "I apologise in advance for anything I may say."

This shocks some of the others, who try to remember what happened during that time.

 **Weiss stands in combat attire, readying her Myrtenaster at the growling creature in the cage. Her teammates cheer for her.**

" **Go Weiss!" Yang yells.**

" **Fight well." Blake waves a flag with RWBY written on it.**

" **Yeah, represent Team RWBY!" Ruby cheers.**

 **Weiss lowering her sword and looking over to Ruby. "Ruby! I'm trying to focus!"**

" **Oh, um... Sorry..." Ruby sheepishly replies.**

 _'Ruby wasn't the only one who was cheering!'_ Yang thinks, but decides not to say anything. _'I guess that's why Weiss said what she did.'_

" **Alright!" Professor Port announces, "Let the match begin." He pulls out his axe and uses it to release the lock on the cage.**

 **The cage opens revealing a Boarbatusk that charges straight at Weiss.** **She uses Myrtenaster to deflect its attack and roll to the side, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stands a distance away from its enemy, studying her.**

" **Ha ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port comments.**

" **Hang in there Weiss." Ruby yells to her teammate.**

 _'This fight did not go as well as it should have.'_ Weiss recalls.

 **Weiss is now speeding towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until they meet, and the boar knocks its tusks to the side causing Myrtenaster to be trapped in them. Weiss is still hanging on to the hilt, and is tossed around as she struggles to get the rapier back.**

 **"Bold, new approach. I like it!" Port continues his commentary in the background.**

 **"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby cheers again.**

 **Weiss turns to glare at Ruby, only for the Boarbatusk to turn its head and rip the sword from her grip. Myrtenaster lands far away from its master, who is knocked back by the creature's tusks.**

 _'That was my fault for being distracted.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asks.**

 **Weiss looks up just in time to see the Boarbatusk charge again, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid getting trampled and make it crash into a desk. Weiss rushes at her sword and slides to get it back in her hand.**

 **"Weiss! Go for its belly!" Ruby advises from the side-lines "There's no armour underneath…"**

" **Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss interrupts, causing Ruby to frown dejectedly.**

Yang tightly grips her armrest, struggling to stay quiet.

 **Meanwhile, the Boarbatusk leaps into the air and rolls into a ball, spinning rapidly in the air and landing on the ground, consistently gaining speed until it launches itself at Weiss.**

 **It comes closer and closer, but Weiss activates one of her glyphs and blocks the roll, leaping up into the now-black snowflake symbol and turning it blue again so she can drive the blade into the Boarbatusk's stomach. It squeals and falls silent while Weiss gasps in relief.**

 _'I think I was trying to fight it without using my glyphs.'_ Weiss recalls. _'In the end I decided that would never work for me.'_

 **"Bravo! Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Port says once the beast is felled. Weiss stands up at attention from her exhausted position and Ruby continues to glance down to her lap, looking hurt.**

 **"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today." Port continues "Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"**

 **Weiss glares and turns away, walking hurriedly to the exit past her teammates.**

 **"Sheesh, what's with her?" Jaune comments as Weiss leaves.**

Weiss stiffens at this comment. _'Even past Jaune was thinking I was out of line. I wonder how they react to what happens next.'_

 **The remaining members of Team RWBY look at each other with the same question.**

 **Later in one of the corridors Weiss is still storming off, but Ruby turns a corner and manages to catch up with her. "Weiss." She calls after her partner.**

"I've never seen this." Yang comments. "Is this how you made up?"

Weiss dips her head slightly. "Not exactly. That happened later."

" **What?" The heiress replies as she turns to face Ruby.**

 **"What's wrong with you?" Ruby asks. "Why are you being…?"**

" **What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Weiss retorts. "You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"**

 **Ruby scoffs. "What did I do?"**

 **"That's just it… you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!" Weiss complains.**

"I admit I was being immature during the class." Ruby says from under her hood.

"And since then you have been much better at paying attention in class." Weiss says. She then catches a glimpse of Ruby smiling under her hood.

 **"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team." Ruby reminds Weiss.**

 **"Not a team led by you." Weiss says. "I've studied and trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better."**

 **Weiss turns her back to Ruby, who tries to reach out but drops her hand with the following words.**

" **Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss walks away, leaving Ruby alone.**

"He does seem to have some unusual reason to have Ruby as team leader." Ren points out.

"That's certainly true." Weiss responds. "Though I will admit Ruby has a good intuition and battle sense."

Ruby, now with her hood down, smiles at this. "I try really hard!"

 **Ruby turns around to come face to face with the headmaster, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his cane in the other. "Hmm... Now that didn't seem to go very well." Ozpin comments.**

"He was there!" Weiss almost jumps in shock. "He heard everything!"

"Yeah…" Ruby replies, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Weiss is frantically thinking of how to apologise.

"He didn't seem to care too much about how you acted." Ruby replies.

"He always seems to know what's going on." Blake points out. "And he never seems too bothered by it. He figured out I was a Faunus almost immediately, and arranged a meeting to talk about why I hide it from others."

 **"Is she right? Did you make a mistake?" Ruby asks, on the verge of tears.**

 **Ozpin laughs slightly "That remains to be seen."**

 **Scene change to Weiss, walking around the halls until she comes across a balcony where Professor Port is watching the sunset over Beacon Academy's rooftops.**

"Yes!" Ruby cheers. "I finally get to see why you changed." She is much more upbeat than she was at the start of the video. Yang sighs in relief at this.

"I didn't change." Weiss protests. "I just decided to show a different side of me."

"More like you decided to remove a mask." Blake deduces, feeling for her bow. _'Should I take it off? It's not as if anyone here doesn't know.'_

In the end she decides not to. Better to avoid being stared at, even if they don't have any malice towards her.

" **Professor Port!" Weiss walks up to the teacher.**

 **"Ah, Miss Schnee!" Port turns to look at her "And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"**

 **"I... I enjoyed your lecture!" Weiss compliments.**

"Did you really?" Yang jokes.

"It was good to know that we had a teacher with some level of practical experience." Weiss answers seriously.

"You didn't think he was just boasting?" Blake asks.

"He was able to get a captured Boarbatusk into a classroom without any problems." Weiss replies. "That alone proves that he has a high level of skill."

 **"Of course you did, child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you." Port makes a big deal about himself.**

 **"You really think so?" Weiss smiles at the compliment.**

 **"Most surely!" Port notices Weiss' small frown and lack of eye contact. "Hmm... Something's troubling you."**

 **"Yes, sir..." Weiss replies.**

 **"Dear girl, confess to me your strife." Port enunciates dramatically.**

 **"Well..." Weiss pauses for a moment. "I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY."**

 **Port is silent for a moment until he speaks "That's preposterous!"**

"Ha!" Nora laughs. "He certainly knows how to cut you down a peg."

 **"What do you mean?" the video cuts back to Ruby's conversation with Ozpin, where she is responding to his previous comment.**

"This in another thing that happens in shows." Jaune explains before anyone can ask. "They cut between two similar conversation, so we don't have to watch the same thing twice."

"Your knowledge is certainly helpful." Pyrrha compliments her partner.

 **"I mean, it's only been one day." Ozpin explains "Ruby... I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them." He leans in, so he can look more directly at Ruby. "Do you?"**

"What mistakes has he made?" Ren asks.

"We may find out later." Blake points out. "Perhaps it relates to the CCT woman somehow."

"Or the woman he was speaking to at the beginning." Pyrrha mentions.

"Enough wild speculation!" Weiss declares. "We can find out by watching."

 **The scene cuts back to Weiss, now getting angry. "Excuse me?!"**

 **Port explains. "I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!"**

"The teachers certainly believe in Ozpin for some reason." Pyrrha mentions.

"It's to be expected." Weiss says. "Even among the other headmasters he is considered a prodigy. He has a wealth of experience and an amazing reputation of teaching the best Hunters in the world."

 **"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?" Weiss has a clear tone of arrogance in her voice.**

 **"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude." Port retorts.**

"Burn!" Nora yells. "You just go burned!"

Weiss glares at Nora with an intensity rarely seen. However Nora just smiles happily and sets her eyes back to the screen.

 **"How dare you!" Weiss is seething now.**

 **"My point exactly. I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted." Port says.**

 **Weiss crosses her arms defiantly. "That's not even remotely true!" Port raises an eyebrow at this. "Well... not entirely true."**

 _'Not the things that matter most.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Scene changes back to Ozpin: "Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you're not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?"**

Jaune feels bad at these words. _'Do I really deserve to be leader of JNPR, I always seem to let people down.'_

Pyrrha notices Jaune's expression and puts her hand on his shoulder. "You've always made the right choice when it matters."

Jaune smiles at this, his confidence back.

 **Ruby looks thoughtful with Ozpin's words, then smiles at him.**

 **Back to Port. "So the outcome did not fall in your favour. Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?" Weiss finally calms down and looks the teacher in the eyes "So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savour what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be."**

"Do my ears deceive me!?" Nora acts shocked. "That was good advice. And from Port!."

"I told you." Weiss says. "You would be wise to not look down on his insight."

 **Weiss smiles a little at the words of wisdom.**

 **Ozpin turns his back on Ruby, still talking to her "You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time, to think about how you will uphold it."**

 **Ruby, with a last look of consideration, turns and walks away. She comes to the balcony where Port is walking away from Weiss and smiles a little at her partner.**

 _'I decided to do whatever I can to live up to and exceed my partners expectations.'_ Ruby recalls. _'This was a very big moment for me in strengthening my resolve to learn even outside the battlefield.'_

 **The full moon shines over the green lights of Beacon, and in the room of Team RWBY, the door opens, and Weiss' shadow is seen against the hall's light. Blake is sleeping under the covers, Yang is spread out on her bed and snoring, and when Weiss lifts the blanket of Ruby's tent, she finds the occupant with her head resting on notes, a pencil in her hand, and open books all around her.**

"It's always good to see how hard you try in your studies." Weiss says, causing Ruby to beam in joy.

"And surprising too." Yang mentions. "With the exception of weapon studies, I had never seen you study so much for a non-practical subject before Beacon."

"I decided as leader, I need to put in every effort." Ruby explains.

 **Weiss, looking amazed at Ruby's determination, clears her throat and gently shakes the other girl awake, who takes a second to regain consciousness and start flailing in surprise.**

 **"Weiss!" Ruby tries to explain herself. "I-I was studying, and then I fell asleep. I'm sorry..."**

 **Weiss places a hand over Ruby's mouth and puts a finger to her own so Ruby understands the need for lowering her voice. Weiss looks near Ruby's pillow and spots an empty Beacon coffee mug.**

"I still don't understand why you use coffee mugs for milk." Blake comments.

"It tastes better." Ruby replies. This isn't the first time they've asked, and they never seem to believe her.

 **"How do you take your coffee?" Weiss lowers her hand from Ruby's face.**

 **Ruby stutters. "I... I don't..."**

 **"Answer the question!" Weiss interrupts, getting irritated.**

 **"Uhh, cream and five sugars." Ruby gives a hasty reply.**

"It's practically cream and sugar, with a small amount of coffee added." Weiss says.

 **Weiss sighs. "Don't move." She ducks under to her own bed and comes up a moment later with a fresh cup, offering it to Ruby "Here."**

 **"Um... Thanks, Weiss." Ruby is slightly surprised by Weiss's change in temperament.**

 **Weiss smiles, then looks apologetic. "Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader." Ruby smiles appreciatively at this.**

 _'I always know Weiss was a nice person deep down.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I think this was the first time I really met her.'_

 **Weiss continues "Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!" They share a smile. "Good luck studying!" She ducks under the bed.**

 **Weiss then suddenly pops back up only to point at one of Ruby's papers. "That's wrong, by the way." She ducks under again, and her voice comes from the doorway this time. "Hey, Ruby?"**

 **"Uh-huh?" Ruby responds.**

 **Weiss is standing at the door with her hand on the knob. "I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." She closes the door.**

"Why didn't you have them?" Blake asks. "It's not as if cost was a problem."

"There was no point." Weiss explains. "I didn't have anyone my age to share it with and my father wouldn't let me have friends around without introducing their 'rich and influential parents'." _'Not that I had any real friends'_ "And most importantly it's considered improper for a young lady to use buck beds."

 **Ruby, grinning at the progress with her friend, goes back to her notes as scene fades to black and the video ends.**

"That was nice." Yang comments. "But I think we can go straight to the next video."

"On it!" Nora salutes before using the remote.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This took some time. I apologise.**

 **Remember, if I am on an unannounced hiatus for over a month then It means that I want someone else to take over.**

 **I would very much appreciate it if people could tell me what they expect in the future and what kind of things they don't want to see. While I have final say in what gets written I will listen to a well-argued point.**

 **The code for this chapter is "The milkman has the key, I am not the milkman."**

 **Write the code at the end of your comment or make a different reference to the game.**


	12. V1: C7: Jaunedice

**A/N**

 **Before anyone asks about the exact seating positions. The answer is I don't know. Ren and Nora are next to each other, and Jaune is next to Pyrrha however for team RWBY there is no set positions. This way I can use whatever positions are most useful for the situation in the story. Please forgive any logical inconsistencies.**

 **This is the most important chapter so far in my opinion. It's also the one many people have been looking forward to in the reviews. I hope I have lived up to expectations but if I haven't, please tell me what you don't like about it and what you think could be better.**

 **One problem that I think I might have with the post video scene is that I haven't written enough filler text to give people time to feel the impact of the writing. If you agree then please tell me what I can add without breaking the flow of the story. Please give exact words as I don't want to spend ages thinking about the best verbs or nouns (I can't even remember which is which).**

* * *

The next video starts

 **Volume 1: Chapter 7: Jaunedice**

"Yes!" Nora cheers. "Finally time for team JNPR to shine!"

Jaune on the other hand is not feeling as cheerful as the others. This can clearly be seen just by looking at him.

Pyrrha puts he hand on Jaune's shoulder, supportively. "It'll be okay." She tells him.

"You know what this will be about?" Weiss asks.

"Pretty sure." Jaune confirms, not elaborating.

 **The opening ends to Cardin with his mace perched on his shoulder and Jaune opposite him with Crocea Mors drawn, leaning on his weapon as if exhausted, in the spotlight shining on the Beacon Academy auditorium stage.**

 **Jaune looks at Cardin, who laughs at his opponent's tiredness, and Jaune gathers his strength to charge forward and swing his blade at Cardin, yelling as he does so. Only for Cardin to sidestep out of the way.**

Seeing the sloppy technique Jaune uses, the girls and Ren hesitate to bring it up. But as it turns out, they don't need to.

"Wow, that was bad!" Jaune laughs, dissipating the tension in the room. "Did I really fight so predictably in the past?"

"You were pretty easy to dodge." Ruby laughs with Jaune.

"That doesn't mean much coming from a girl who can out run a train." Jaune jokes back.

"It's especially annoying when I tried to get Ruby to dress up." Yang joins in.

"Let us no forget that you would take that attack head on, the meathead you are." Weiss says to Yang.

The room goes silent for a moment.

"HAHAHA!" Yang and Nora laugh at outrageous volume, causing the others to join in. Even Blake laughs, and Ren gives a good-hearted chuckle.

 **Jaune looks back, surprised, as Cardin's mace sends Jaune's shield, and himself, flying back. Now only armed with his sword, Jaune yells again as he swings his sword down. Unfortunately the attack is easily blocked by the hilt of Cardin's mace.**

 **Their weapons locked, Cardin forces himself up, towering over a struggling Jaune. "This is the part where you lose."**

"I will not submit to your rule!" Nora makes a reference that no one else gets, but they laugh anyway.

 **Jaune replies. "Over my dead…!"**

 **Jaune is cut short as Cardin knees him in the gut, making Jaune drop his sword and fall to the ground in pain.**

"How rude." Jaune says overly dramatically. "A real man shouldn't interrupt others when there talking."

"A real man shouldn't talk while they're losing." Blake comments. The upbeat atmosphere letting everyone know she doesn't mean to offend.

 **Cardin raises his mace and is about to slam it down on Jaune just when the buzzer rings, the lights come back on, and Goodwitch's voice causes him to stop.**

 **"Cardin, that's enough!" Goodwitch declared, forcing Cardin to relent his attack and walk out of the way as she comes onto the stage, tapping her tablet.**

"I could have had him." Jaune says. "I was this close to a total victory."

"Were you going to beat up his hammer with your face?" Yang jokes.

"I had a fool proof strategy." Jaune retorts. "I had him lured into a false sense of security. If Goodwitch hadn't cancelled the match I would have won moments later." He jokes.

"I'm sure you would have." Pyrrha smiles to her partner, glad he's taking this so well.

 **"Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament-styled duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match." As she talks, two holograms are seen behind Goodwitch, showing how Cardin has full Aura and Jaune has very little.**

 **While Jaune still lays on the floor in defeat and Pyrrha Nikos looks sad, Goodwitch turns her head to look at the losing warrior as he pulls out a smaller tablet with his low, blinking stats and that of his entire team. "Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide when it's appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more... defensive strategy." Jaune sighs in response. "We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now, would we?"**

 **"Speak for yourself..." Cardin makes an insensitive comment.**

The mood suddenly turns sour. Despite Jaune's best efforts, it seems he wouldn't be able to joke his way through this.

"Remember how much you've improved." Pyrrha says to Jaune in a low voice, so the others can't hear.

 **Goodwitch then addresses the seated and standing students. "Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practising! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!"**

 **Yang punches the air in anticipation, Weiss, shakes her fists with an excited smile, and Ruby shakes her entire body with enthusiastic energy while squealing softly.**

"Bet we do better than you!" Nora yells to the entirety of team RWBY.

"Bring it on!" Yang yells back.

Weiss nearly stands up in sudden realisation. "The note said we would see the future!"

"So?" Ruby asks in confusion.

 _'We may get to see how we do in the tournament.'_ Weiss thinks. _'And even see our opponents fighting styles.'_ She chooses not to say any of this out loud. Unfortunately she doesn't have to.

"She's excited about being able to get an advantage over the other contestants." Blake explains to the others.

"I just think we need to be able to deal with a worst-case scenario." Weiss defends herself. "If what the note said about a catastrophe is true, then we need to be prepared for anything."

After a brief pause Ren is the one to speak "She has a point."

 _'Though I seriously doubt that was her first thought.'_ Blake thinks.

 **The bell rings, and students start leaving while Pyrrha continues to frown sadly. Jaune, still sitting on the floor, hangs his head in shame as the scene goes dark.**

 **"So." Nora's voice is heard as the screen fades in to a close up of her turquoise eyes. "There we were, in the middle of the night..."**

 **"It was day." Ren comments from off-screen.**

"I remember this." Nora says. "I was telling you about the time we killed an army of Griffon."

 **"We were surrounded by Ursai..." Nora continues, as Blake is seen paying no attention as she is lost in her book and Yang is hanging on her every word with her hands cupping her face.**

"Someone needs to keep their story straight." Ruby comments.

"Past me was being modest." Nora protests. "I'm absolutely sure they were Griffon."

 **"They were Beowolves." Ren is now seen, holding a coffee cup.**

"There were so many, it was hard to tell the difference." Nora says.

 **"Dozens of them!" Nora screams this as she stands at the table of both Team RWBY and JNPR, where Weiss is ignoring Nora and filing her nails, Ruby and Pyrrha are listening politely, and Jaune is messing with his food, clearly paying thinking about other things.**

 **"Two of them." Ren interjects again.**

"They were Alphas though." Nora continues to defend herself. "And even among Alphas, they were tough."

Everyone turns to Ren who shakes his head. "They were normal Beowolves, that we struggled with due to inexperience.

 **"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Nora finishes her story.**

"Except for the fact Grimm disappear when they are killed." Yang points out.

 **Meanwhile Ruby and Pyrrha now look at Jaune with concern.**

 **Ren sighs. "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."**

"It's surprising how quickly her memory of an event can change." Ren makes a comment about Nora. "Sometimes I wonder how she makes it though lessons."

"I have an amazing study partner!" Nora wraps her arm around Ren in a half-hearted hug.

 **"Jaune?" Pyrrha looks at her leader, disregarding Nora's story. "Are you okay?"**

 **"Huh?" Jaune snaps out of it, turning back toward them. "Oh, yeah! Why?"**

 **"It's just that you seem a little... not okay..." Ruby answers.**

 _'This was probably the lowest point in my life.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Actually it got even worse a bit later.'_ He dips his head, not wanting to relive the experience.

 **The others stop their distractions and stare at Jaune, who responds. "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" He holds up a thumb while laughing nervously.**

 **Laughter is at another table and everyone turns to see Team CRDL, standing around Velvet. Cardin laughs at her while one of his teammates holds up his hands to his head in a mock interpretation of her Velvet's ears.**

"Bastards." Blake mutters, as she clenches her fists.

"Remember they haven't done anything like that for a while." Yang tries to calm her partner down.

 **"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!" Pyrrha says to her partner.**

 **"Who? Cardin Winchester?" Jaune acts oblivious "Nah... He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!"**

"Why did you try to defend him?" Pyrrha asks.

Jaune sighs. "I just didn't want to cause any trouble."

"It's never trouble to help a friend." Weiss says. Even she doesn't think Jaune deserved something like that.

 **"He's a bully." Ruby states plainly.**

 **Jaune scoffs. "Oh, please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me." He giggles nervously.**

 **A flashback starts, showing Jaune on the way to class as Cardin is going the other way down the hall. When the two pass, Cardin knocks his arm into Jaune and makes him drop his book, then continuing on his way with his hands out as if daring anyone to challenge him. "Ah, come on!" Jaune complains.**

Seeing the bullying first hand like this cause Pyrrha tense up. _'I should have done something far sooner.'_

 **Another scene is shown where Jaune and Cardin are about to pass through a doorway, but Cardin clicks on Jaune's sheath and extends it into its shield form as he's going out, causing him to run into his own defence and have it block the exit. Jaune grunts in frustration as he tries to lift his shield back out. "Come on...!"**

 _'What's even the point of that?'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'It's not as if he gains anything from it. Does he just enjoy making others feel terrible?'_

 **The next scene starts with Goodwitch in the locker room with several students, gesturing at the devices. "Each of you will be assigned one rocket-propelled locker to store your weapons and extra Armour. Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code."**

 **Hearing this, Cardin looks at Jaune - standing between him and the only open locker in the room - and the cliché plays itself out as Cardin quickly pushes a shocked Jaune into the small dark space and closes the door on him, pressing random buttons on the pad right after that.**

 **"What?! No, wait, wait! You've gotta get me out of here! Please! Don't! Don't! Don't do it!" Jaune pleads.**

 **It's too late to protest as the locker scrunches down and launches up with a burst of blue fire coming from its base. Cardin watches as the locker slowly soars across the sky. "Ah, coooome oooooooon...!" Jaune yells from the distance.**

At this point they're luck there aren't any Grimm nearby, because if they were they would be easily attracted to the feelings of hate and even self-loathing that Pyrrha's feeling. _'I should have done something.'_ She thinks. _'I should have done something. I should have done something. I should have done something!'_ Despite this she hides her negative emotions behind a simple frown.

"I really don't want to remember that locker." Jaune groans.

"Was it that bad?" Yang asks.

"Remember my motion sickness." Jaune says. "I still hadn't gotten over it by that point."

"Too much information!" Ruby hastefully interrupts. "I don't even want to think about that."

 **The flashback ends, and everyone is totally focused on Jaune now.**

 **"I didn't land far from the school!" Jaune attempts to laugh it off.**

 **"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask." Pyrrha says.**

 _'Why didn't you ask?'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I know you were hung up on your pride but we're teammates. I should have made it clearer that you can trust me.'_

 **"Ooooh!" Nora gets up from the table with a not-entirely-sane grin. "We'll break his legs!"**

 **"Guys, really, it's fine!" Jaune tries to calm them down. "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone."**

"But he was especially a jerk to you!" Ruby almost yells.

"And Velvet." Blake reminds them sadly.

 **They all look over as team CRDL's laughing grows louder, mixed in with cries of pain from Velvet when one of her ears are tugged on by Cardin.**

 **"Ow! That hurts!" Velvet stops struggling and grimaces. "Please, stop..."**

 **Cardin continues laughing as he turns to his cronies. "I told you it was real!"**

 **"What a freak!" One of them comments, still guffawing with his teammates.**

 **Cardin finally relents, and Velvet stands up and hurries off, her head bowed and hiding her face from the other people in the room.**

"Why doesn't she defend herself?" Nora asks. "I've seen her fight. She can easily beat them, especially since they don't have weapons."

"She's too kind a person to resort to violence." Blake answers. "And more importantly, she knows that fighting back would just strengthen the bad reputation that the White Fang have."

"But she's not a member." Weiss points out the flaw in the logic.

"It doesn't matter." Blake explains. "Many people see Faunus and immediately think of the White Fang. You of all people should know that."

Weiss doesn't respond to this. Instead looking down at the floor and mentally berating herself.

 **"Atrocious." Pyrrha says. "I can't stand people like him."**

" **He's not the only one..." Blake responds while staring daggers at Cardin.**

 **"It must be hard to be a Faunus." Yang sadly leans her head on her hand.**

 _'I'm lucky to have such a good teammate.'_ Blake thinks to herself. _'If Ozpin set up the initiation to create certain pairings then I'm not one to complain.'_ She budges a little, closing the distance between her and Yang.

 **Having gotten up from the table, Jaune looks back at his friends and sighs to himself before moving on with his tray table. He doesn't realise that Cardin is watching his walk of shame with a sinister grin as the background music turns ominous.**

"Did Cardin do something around that time?" Yang asks out of concern.

"You'll see." Jaune states, not wanting to explain the details. _'How will they react when they find out?'Will they still consider me a friend?_ ' He shakes his head slightly. _'That's ridiculous. Of course they'll still be my friends. We've gotten through far worse situations together.'_

 **The scene changes to a uniformed, sleeping Jaune Arc with his head resting in his hands while a constantly-zooming and fast-talking Professor Oobleck is in the middle of his hyperactive lecture, educating Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, Velvet, and a leaned-back Cardin directly behind Jaune.**

 **"Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution-more popularly known as the Faunus War…" Oobleck zooms up to the front of the class and the map covered in papers behind his desk. "…humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralising Faunus population in Menagerie." He points at the map of said-area with his stick, then zooms off to the side for a sip of his coffee before appearing in front of the desk.**

"Now this I can clearly remember." Weiss says.

"It's good to have a teacher that can approach the Faunus history delicately, without hiding any of the facts." Blake comments.

"What do you mean?" Nora asks out of curiosity.

"One of the major factors in discrimination is not being educated on the hardships we face, and assuming the White Fang lashes out without reason." Blake explains. "Not that I think their reasons justify their actions." She quickly adds.

 **"Now!" Oobleck quickly continues. "While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" He continues zooming around the classroom, sipping his coffee again before continuing to zoom and talk. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"**

 **A small number of miscellaneous students raise their hands. Velvet, after a moment, hesitantly does the same. Now all the Faunus other than Blake have their hands up.**

Blake dips her head in sadness for the suffering of her people. _'I hope we can at least learn something to help bring equality.'_ Remembering the notes mention of catastrophe made her worried that the White Fang might be involved.

 **"Dreadful, simply dreadful!" Oobleck pities the unfortunate people. "Remember, students. It is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" He takes another sip of his coffee. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to White Fang! Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorise to be the turning point in the third year of the War?"**

 **Weiss raises her hand. "Yes?" Oobleck addresses her.**

 **"The battle at Fort Castle!" Weiss answers.**

"Always the model student I see." Ruby teases.

"You say that as if you think it's a bad thing." Weiss retorts.

 _'I don't.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I actually wish I was as book smart as you.'_

 **"Precisely!" Oobleck is pleased by this answer. "And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?"**

 **Unseen by the professor, Cardin flicks a paper football at Jaune's head, causing him to wake up.**

 **"Hey!" Jaune complains.**

"Jerk." Pyrrha says irritably. Her feeling from before still lingering in the back of her mind.

"To be fair." Weiss comments. "He shouldn't have been sleeping in class."

"I was awake!" Jaune defends herself. "I could even remember the question."

 **Oobleck zooms in front of Jaune's face. "Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?" He asks, not knowing that the response wasn't intended for him.**

 **"Uhhhh... The answer..." Jaune stutters, trying to recall the question. "The advantage... that the Faunus..." He looks behind Oobleck's focused face at Pyrrha, who coughs and points to her eyes. "...had over that guy's stuff..."**

"See!" Jaune points out. "I was just lightly resting."

 **Jaune sees Pyrrha cup her hands around her eyes and goes for the first answer he can think of. "Uhh... Binoculars!" he says with a level of confidence.**

 **While Jaune looks pleased with his answer, the class laughs at him and Oobleck, back at the front of the class, sips his coffee. Pyrrha sighs and slaps a hand to her forehead as Cardin pounds his fist on his desk while chortling.**

Jaune groans, any confidence he had mustered being lost.

 **"Very funny, Mr. Arc!" Oobleck zooms back behind his desk. "Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject!"**

 **"Well." Cardin responds. "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."**

 _'How can he see us that way!?'_ Blake thinks. _'Does he not see us as people? Despite us attending school with him.'_

 **Oobleck shakes his head while Pyrrha responds. "You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?"**

 **"What? You got a problem?" Cardin threatens.**

 **"No, I have the answer!" Pyrrha retorts. "It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly-perfect sight in the dark." Cardin growls at the correct response.**

"There are also many that are nocturnal." Blake says. "This means there were more night guards than there would normally be in a purely human army."

 **Blake continues Pyrrha's explanation. "General Lagune was inexperienced, and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured." She then turns to Cardin. "Perhaps if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure."**

 **Cardin starts to get up from his seat, fist clenched and glaring at Blake and Pyrrha.**

 **"Mr. Winchester!" Dr Oobleck interferes before anything can happen. "Please take your seat." In response to this Jaune laughs at his tormentor's embarrassment, before Oobleck zooms up to him. "You and Mr. Arc can both see me after class for additional readings." He takes yet another sip of his coffee.**

 **"Oohhhh..." Jaune groans, his shoulders slumping.**

 **"Now! Moving on!" Oobleck zooms away as the class continues.**

"I didn't even do anything wrong!" Jaune complains on his other self's behalf.

"It's not uncommon for teachers to give additional readings for those who are struggling." Weiss explains. "And back then you weren't doing very well in his classes." _'You're only barely doing well now.'_

Pyrrha looks over to Weiss with daggers in her eyes, but then looks away before anyone can notice. _'I need to calm down.'_ She thinks. _'When this video is over, I'll request another break so that I can blow of some steam in the training grounds.'_

 **When the lesson ends, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren come out of the classroom, only for Pyrrha to stop near the doorway.**

 **"You go on ahead." Pyrrha says to her teammates "I'll wait for Jaune."**

"You didn't have to do that." Jaune says to his partner.

"I didn't want to leave you alone." Pyrrha answers shortly, careful not to let her emotion loose.

 **Inside the class Oobleck sips his coffee as he lectures Jaune and Cardin on their behaviour in class. "You two have been struggling in my class since day one! Now, I don't know if it's a lack of interest, or just your stubborn nature, but whatever it is..." He takes a longer sip of his coffee. "It stops now!"**

 **Oobleck continues. "You've worked hard to gain entrance to this school, and we only accept the best of the best, so I expect you to act like it. History is important, gentlemen! If you can't learn from it... you're destined to repeat it. Pages fifty-one to ninety-one! I want an essay on my desk by next class! Now. Run along."**

Jaune groans at the comment about gaining entrance to the school, surprising the some of the others. They just shrug it of as him feeling bad about his past self's abilities.

 **With that, Oobleck zooms out of the classroom and past a waiting Pyrrha in a green and white blur. Jaune comes out first, and Cardin emerges behind him, pushing him to the ground and causing him to groan in pain that makes the bully laugh before walking away.**

 **Pyrrha sees all this and narrows her eyes at Cardin as she goes to help Jaune up. "You know, I really will break his legs." She tells her partner. Jaune sighs at this.**

"We can still break them!" Nora roars. "A small accident during a practice session is nothing to be surprised about."

"No! Don't. Seriously." Jaune quickly responds. "I've already worked things out. Breaking his legs would just be asking for trouble."

 **Pyrrha suddenly looks like she is struck by inspiration. "I have an idea! Here, come with me!" She grabs a confused Jaune by the arm and drags him along as she turns down the corridor.**

 **The scene changes as a dejected Jaune and Pyrrha come out onto a rooftop of one of the dorm room buildings, with a clear view of Beacon Tower in the distance.**

 **"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed." Jaune looks over the edge of the roof, to the confusion of Pyrrha. "I can always be a farmer or something..."**

"That's the first thing you think of when a girl leads you to the roof?" Yang asks, worried.

"At least I didn't consider jumping." Jaune responds, with a slight blush thinking about the implications of Yang's words.

"This is where you've been doing the extra training right?" Ruby asks.

"Sorta." Jaune answers. "We actually use a different, nearby roof because of… reasons."

 _'You still haven't told me what those reasons are.'_ Pyrrha thinks, as she does her best to appear calm.

 **Realisation hits Pyrrha with horror. "N-n-no!" She dashes to push Jaune away from the edge. "That's not why I brought you up here!"**

 **The perspective pans out to show the two on the roof as they talk. However Cardin can be seen leaning in his windowsill right below them.**

"Is that Cardin?" Blake asks, being the first to notice him.

The others look closely to see that Blake's right. Cardin is right below Jaune and Pyrrha.

"He was there! He heard?!" Pyrrha raises her voice. Worry and anger rising even more than before. "How much did he hear?!"

"Everything." Jaune replies softly. He's slightly surprised by Pyrrha's outburst of emotion but decides not to bring it up.

"Did you say something important?" Ren asks.

"It was something personal." Pyrrha explains. Hoping everyone would respect the privacy of the situation.

This vague answer actually makes the uninvolved think of something entirely different to the truth. Until they remember how Jaune still tries to date Weiss after this.

 **"Jaune." Pyrrha addresses her partner, both unknowing to the fact that Cardin is listening to their conversation. "I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help you!"**

 **"Wh-what?" Jaune asks.**

 **Pyrrha explains. "We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!"**

 **"You think I need help?" Jaune ask, the depression in his voice clear.**

 **"N-no! No, that's not what I meant." Pyrrha tries to explain.**

 **"But you just said it." Jaune responds.**

"You're part of a team." Ruby takes Pyrrha's side of the argument. "Teammates help each other at times like this."

"I know, it's just." Jaune struggles for the right words. "As leader, I found it hard to accept that I needed that support. I know better now."

 **"Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time." Pyrrha explains. "It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"**

 **Jaune turns away from Pyrrha, lowering his head and voice. "You're wrong. I-I don't belong here."**

 _'What does that mean?'_ Weiss thinks. _'I know I belittle past Jaune's actions and skills, but Ozpin must have seen his dedication to improve himself. How else would he get into Beacon? And the results speak for themselves.'_ Even she would admit that she's impressed by how much Jaune's improved since the initiation. At least after he stopped his attempts at wooing her.

 **"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!" Pyrrha tries to brighten the mood.**

 **"No, I don't!" Jaune shouts back, then sighs as Pyrrha looks in bewilderment.**

 _'This is it.'_ Jaune thinks, mustering all of his confidence to look at the screen without faltering.

 **"I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..." Jaune turns his back to her so he doesn't have to face her.**

 _'Wait… what?'_ Dozens of thoughts run through Weiss's mind. And the same is happening to her teammates.

"Wha…" Yang tries to ask a question, but the video continues anyway, interrupting her.

 **"Wh-what do you mean?" Pyrrha asks, understandably confused.**

 **Jaune's voice goes higher as he confesses. "I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!" He looks at her again. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"**

 _'He what!'_ Weiss holds in her voice as her breathing becomes heavy. _'He lied! He belittled all the work the rest of us have been through!'_

"Wow." Nora is the first to break the silence. "Never knew our leader could be such a rebel." She tries to play of the entire thing, but no one laughs.

All heads turn to Jaune, who continues to look at the screen without hesitation. He doesn't deny his action though, and that's answer enough for the questions they want to ask.

 **"What?" Pyrrha responds in surprise. "But... why?"**

 **"Because this is always what I've wanted to be!" Jaune turns away again. "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough."**

 _'Did his parents really try to teach him?'_ Ruby wonders. _'He didn't even have his aura unlocked. That's one of the first things they should have done.'_

"There's more than one way to be a hero." Blake says. Though she regrets it immediately. _'I sound like I'm telling him not to be a Huntsman.'_

"I know." Jaune responds for the first time. "I just wanted to live up to the legacy."

"Wanted to?" Yang asks.

"I guess my priorities changed." Jaune explained. "Now I want to help people." _'After seeing everyone's dedication, how could I not start to take on the same goals.'_

Unfortunately for him, Weiss isn't paying attention to his words. She's too busy trying to organise her thoughts.

 **Pyrrha approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Then let me help you!"**

 **"I don't want help!" Jaune suddenly turns on her with mad frustration. "I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"**

 _'You try to call yourself a hero!'_ Weiss is outraged within her head. _'You lie your way into the best school in Remnant, then attempt to be considered a hero!'_

 **"Jaune, I…" Pyrrha tries to talk.**

 **But Jaune quickly interrupts. "I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?"**

 _'How could he think that.'_ Ruby thinks. _'He should have talked to someone. I should have noticed a friend in need of emotional support. What kind of Huntress in training am I?_ ' She sinks into self-loathing of her past inaction.

 **Pyrrha attempts to reach out for his arm and console him, but he leans back from her touch.**

 **"Just... leave me alone. Okay?" Jaune says.**

 **Pyrrha bows her head sadly. "If that's what you think is best..." She walks away, her footsteps getting softer and softer until she leaves the roof.**

 **Jaune paces a little until he hears a mocking laugh and Cardin appears on the roof from his window. "Oh, Jaune..." The bully makes his presence known.**

 **Jaune looks at the bully in surprise. "Cardin!"**

"What happened?" Pyrrha asks Jaune in a low, menacing voice. Though the malice isn't directed at him, but instead the screen, paused on Cardin's smug grin.

Jaune shift uncomfortably, seeing Pyrrha act so malevolently. "It was no big deal, I dealt with everything in the end. You should have seen it, I was amazing." He tries to calm her down.

Surprisingly, Pyrrha does seem to calm down. However this is only externally. Internally she is instead feeling sadness. She remembers how Jaune dealt with Cardin in the end, and her involvement. _'How will he react when he finds out? I lied to him for his sake, but if he's about to find out then it could all be for nothing.'_ Her eyes water slightly, but she rubs it away before anyone can notice.

 **"I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room." Cardin mocks Jaune. "So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel!"**

 _'Fuck.'_ Nora bites her fingers. _'I said the same thing as that jerk.'_

 **"Please, Cardin, please, don't tell anyone!" Jaune begs.**

 **"Jaune, come on! I'd never rat on a friend like that!" Cardin responds, as he walks over to Jaune.**

"Asshole." Yang mutters. The rest of her team nod in agreement.

 **"A... a friend?" Jaune stutters.**

 **"Of course!" Cardin then traps Jaune in a headlock under his arm, as Jaune struggles and fails to free himself.**

Pyrrha's sadness quickly turns back to anger. She sits still, practically paralysed, as she soaks in every detail of the past events.

 **"We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a long time." Cardin finally releases Jaune, who gasps as he falls to the ground.**

 **Cardin continues. "That being said, I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?" He leans down to rub Jaune's hair and gets up with a grin.**

 **"That's what I thought." Cardin says arrogantly as heads back to his room via the ledge. "Don't worry, Jaune; your secret's safe with me."**

 **Cardin drops back down to his room as Jaune rubs his neck in pain and worry before the scene fades to black and the video ends.**

Everyone sits in silence for a while. Out of all the video's, this was the most personal by far.

Nora tries to start the next video, but is Ren quickly stops her. Placing his hand over the remote he looks her in the eyes and shakes his head.

Ruby is the first to break the silence. "These video's aren't fun anymore." She is mainly referring to the way everyone else is acting.

Jaune raises his head to look at the others. One by one he notices their expressions. From Ruby's pained face to her sister's red eyes. Blake and Weiss seem to be hiding their emotions, but for different reasons. Ren and Nora are both quiet, trying to look disinterested.

"We should take a break." Pyrrha says, desperate to relieve her stress with a work out.

"I agree. We need to talk." Weiss declares, completely misunderstanding what Pyrrha meant.

"About what?" Blake asks hesitantly.

"About how Jaune lied his way into the school!" Weiss all but shouts. "The rest of us worked hard to get into Beacon but you!" She points at Jaune accusingly. "You cheated! You made all the efforts the rest of us put in seem meaningless… The only reason you haven't been expelled for your lack of skill is Beacons superi…"

"SHUT UP!" Pyrrha yells, shocking everyone else. "He works harder than anyone and you know it!" She is now standing up, eyes locked on Weiss with a previously unseen level of rage.

"He lied to us!" Weiss protests. "You did too! How could you do that to your friends?" She brings her hands to her chest, emotionally hurt.

But at this point Pyrrha is barely listening. All she can tell is that her crush is being repeatedly insulted by this BITCH. She reaches down, grabbing a something from the nearby table.

"Let's calm down!" Yang gets up between the two. "We just need some time to thi…"

CRASH

A plate slams itself into Yang's face, shattering on impact. Yang herself isn't hurt, but the shock makes her fall back onto the floor.

All eyes turn to Pyrrha, the source of the plate.

"I…" Having released her pent-up rage, realisation of her actions dawns on Pyrrha. "I didn't mean to..." Tears swelling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry!" She runs away, out the back door to who knows where.

"Pyrrha wait!" Jaune climbs over the sofa and runs after her.

The rest of the group stand in disbelief. How could kind polite Pyrrha do something like this?

After a brief moment Ruby and Blake kneel next to Yang. "Sis are you okay?!" Ruby ask frantically.

"I'm fine." Yang states, completely monotone. She just stares at the ceiling. Her aura had protected her, but injury is the last thing on her mind. _'How did this happen?'_

* * *

In the library

When Jaune finally finds Pyrrha, she is sitting in the corner of the library, arms wrapped around her knees and head buried in her arms.

"Pyrrha…" Jaune announces his presence as he approaches.

"Go away." Pyrrha sobs. Now that Jaune is closer he can see the tears in her eyes.

"Now isn't the time for space." Jaune says in a low tone, sitting beside her.

Pyrrha budges away from him. "I hurt Yang!" She cries. "I was trying to hurt Weiss, and I attacked Yang."

"Yang's fine." Jaune tries to console her. "We've both seen her take far worse without a scratch."

"That's not the point." Pyrrha looks up to Jaune. "I was trying to hurt a friend, maliciously! I'm a terrible person!"

"You're not." Jaune comforts her. "You're just having difficulties with the situation. Let me help you."

"I don't need help. I need to be punished!" Pyrrha exclaims. "I did something awful and now I deserve to be alone!"

Jaune pauses for a bit, until he realises what to do. "I was once going through a hard time."

Pyrrha slants her head at the new direction of the conversation.

"I was dealing with some problems and ended up pushing others away." Jaune continues his story. "One girl, the most amazing person I know, ended up trying to help me. But I told her to leave me alone. I still regret it to this day."

Jaune gently grabs Pyrrha's loose hand. "Things ended up working themselves out, but I still wish I hadn't done so. If only I had dealt with the problem properly, and talked with my friend about it. I'm sure they would have supported me."

Pyrrha tears up at this, embracing Jaune in a hug. Crying profusely, but now for a completely different reason.

* * *

Viewing Room

Everything had calmed down. Yang was on her feet again and they had just finished deciding how to deal with the situation.

"There coming back." Nora tells everyone as she runs from her lookout spot at the door.

Everyone is silent as the door fully opens to reveal Pyrrha and Jaune, holding hands.

Jaune looks in the room in surprise. Everyone is back in there seats as if nothing had happened, with the exception of Weiss who stands directly before them.

""I'm sorry!"" Weiss and Pyrrha both say at the same time, bowing their heads.

Nora chuckles at this, but then quickly quiets down.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha repeats, alone this time. "I'm sorry I yelled. I'm sorry I tried to attack you. Yang, I'm sorry I hit you. I was just so angry… and I didn't know what to do."

"I'm sorry I insulted you." Weiss responds with her own apology. "Both of you. My words were insensitive and cruel, and I don't blame you for what happened. I was hurt that that you hid this from me, but I should have respected your privacy. I didn't mean what I said but I lashed out anyway." This was a lie, in truth she did mean everything she said about Jaune. But few things are worth loosing such good friends over, and this isn't one of them.

They both smile to each other as they retake their seats. The tension isn't gone, but at least they've talked things through.

"I guess we don't need that break then." Jaune comments. Incredibly surprised at how well that went.

Everyone responds with a resounding "no." so Nora starts the next video.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Regarding the adding of Ilia: probably, but only after I've seen volume 6. This gives me time to be sure that she's a recurring character and learn more about her personality.**

 **To those who say that the story is good because I'm a good writer. I disagree. I created a fanfic that caters to the innate desire to see terrible things happen without anything going wrong. Any level of quality that you see is because I love the show and don't want the first long-running 'react to its own show' fic to be terrible due to my poor skills. The actual quality of literature is bad, but the things I put into it are at least interesting.**


	13. V1: C8: Forever Fall

**A/N**

 **I have seen the Adam character short and it is great. I've added it to my list of the RWBY canonical order, that you can now find on my profile bio.**

 **Regarding possible retcons, other than the volume 2 post credit scene (that will be removed) I plan on solving the problem by simply not having the characters notice the contradictions. It will be as if my story is experiencing retcons. I will try to find ways around doing this if possible though. Please tell me what retcons can you think of, that way I may be able to think ahead.**

The room is still tense after what had just happened.

Pyrrha's eyes are still a mess after having rubbed her tears away, Weiss seems unusually small as she is slouching, something none of the others have seen her do, and Ruby is uncharacteristically quiet, too busy berating herself.

 **Volume 1: Chapter 8: Forever Fall**

"This means we'll be able to see the resolution of the previous video." Jaune explains, unaware that a few people already know this.

 **The opening ends to the view of the Beacon Academy student dorms, where Pyrrha looks out the window sadly as Ren loads StormFlower and Nora is jumping on her bed in the room for Team JNPR.**

 **"How come Jaune gets home so late?" Nora asks.**

 **"He's become rather scarce ever since he's been fraternising with Cardin." Ren admits.**

"What was Cardin having you do?" Blake asks.

"Mostly written assignments." Jaune admits. "In a weird way… he stopped hurting me. Probably thought it would be a waste."

Pyrrha tenses up at this, feeling her previous anger return. But she eventually sighs, letting her anger dissipate. She doesn't want a repeat of what happened earlier.

 **"That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!" Nora proclaims this while twirling in mid-air so she lands, back against her bed.**

 **Pyrrha continues looking out the window. "I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing." She narrows her eyes.**

 _'I was an idiot, I was an idiot, I was an idiot.'_ Jaune repeatedly thinks to himself.

 **Nora hums in suspicion as she and Ren exchange glances. "I guess so." Nora says.**

 **The perspective shifts to show that Jaune himself is looking in through the crack of the door.**

"You were there!" Nora yells in surprise.

"I was looking for some books I'd borrowed from the library. I needed them for one of Cardin's essays." Jaune reveals, deciding to face the problem head on. "I just thought it would be wrong to go in only to leave after hearing that conversation." His voice is brimming with confidence, as if he no longer considers his previous actions to be a blemish on who he is now.

Ever since their previous conversation, Jaune and Pyrrha have been holding hands. Pyrrha was the one refusing to let go, and Jaune didn't think it right to force her to do so. But after she hearing the conviction in his voice Pyrrha decides to let go, determined to be capable of handling her emotions.

 **Jaune hangs his head and closes the door, just as a voice interrupts his thoughts.**

 **"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby greets the knight.**

 _'I remember this.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I didn't realise this conversation happened at around that time.'_

 **Startled, Jaune turns around to see Ruby in her pyjamas, and she giggles at his reaction. "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"**

 **"Oh, uh, nope!" Jaune raises his Scroll, attempting to laugh. "Got it!"**

"How did you lose your Scroll before that anyway?" Yang asks. The tension finally starting to disappear.

"I honestly have no idea." Jaune answers. "It just disappeared every now and then, then later reappeared exactly where I left it."

Nora tries to hide a grin, but Ren notices and raises an eyebrow at her.

 **"So! Where have you been lately?" Ruby asks.**

 **"I, uh..." Jaune tries to come up with something, but just sighs and lowers his head. "I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me." He sighs. "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea." He presses his back to his team's door and slides down to sit on the floor in depression. "I'm a failure."**

 **"Nope!" Ruby deadpans.**

"Interesting response." Weiss says. "You could have probably said something more inspiring."

"I think I handled it great." Ruby responds pridefully, her mood finally picking up.

"It really helped a lot." Jaune agrees, making Ruby smile.

 **Jaune looks at Ruby in surprise. "Nope?"**

 **"Nope!" Ruby repeats, taking a step forwards. "You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."**

 _'That's what I tell myself whenever I feel like giving up on a written assignment.'_ Ruby thinks.

 **"But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?" Jaune asks.**

 **Ruby thinks about it for a moment, then gives her answer. "Nope!"**

 **Jaune laughs as Ruby sits next to him on the floor. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."**

 **"Nope!" Ruby repeats one again, as Jaune leans into the door some more. "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." Jaune groans at this and sinks lower to the ground.**

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Yang says.

Ruby is about to reply when Jaune interrupts her. "She told me what I needed to hear." He says.

Ruby gleams at this.

 **"... and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" Ruby continues, making Jaune groan and go lower still.**

 **"But, you can't be one now. You know why?" Ruby asks.**

" **Uhh, because...?" Jaune struggles for an answer.**

 **"Because it's not just about you anymore." Ruby points at him. "You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us."**

 _'Does Ruby really feel like she has that much pressure on her?'_ Yang thinks. _'Now I feel bad about all those times I've messed around.'_

 **Ruby gets up and places her hands on her hips as she speaks. "We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you." She walks over to her door and opens it as Jaune, now slightly inspired by her words, watches her wave. "Have a good night, Jaune!" She leaves to her room.**

"Thanks Ruby." Jaune looks to the small girl. "I never did thank you for the advice. It really helped."

Ruby feels like she's ready to jump out of her seat. "It was nothing. What are friends for?" She responds. _'I did it… I helped him. I didn't overlook my friends feelings and was there for him when he needed me.'_ She's incredibly relieved by this and decides the videos might not be so bad. If they show her helping people, then it will be like watching a movie where they are the heroes. _'I've always wanted to be one of those heroes. This could be like living the dream.'_

 **With new energy, Jaune pushes himself off the ground and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, but his Scroll beeps and he pulls it off of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relaying a message.**

"Him again." Pyrrha sighs, not letting herself get angry.

 **"Hey! It's your buddy Cardin!" The scroll gives Cardin's message. "I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you… but I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of Rapier Wasps." Jaune makes a terrified sound in response. "And make sure they've got some really big stingers! It's important, so don't screw this up!"**

 **Jaune closes his Scroll one the message ends. Sighing, he wearily heads down the hallway and away from his room.**

"What did he want Rapier Wasps for?" Ren asks.

"You'll see." Jaune explains. "That was the last time I did something for him."

 **The scene changes to an overhead shot of a forest bustling with red leaves and grey trunks is seen as the camera descends and shows Goodwitch leading teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL through the area.**

 **"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful." Goodwitch says to the group. "But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."**

"That's a cheerful way of putting it." Weiss remarks. "I'm sure we could have dealt with anything ourselves."

"We could, but I'm not too sure about CRDL." Blake comments. "And you should never underestimate the Grimm. They have a habit of doing something unexpected right when you're at your most vulnerable."

Yang (and several others) nods her head. She remembers the time her and Ruby were training shortly before coming to Vale, and were attacked by an Ursa.

 **The group stops, and Jaune, grunting and carrying a large case with six empty glass jars on top, tries to catch up with them and ends up bumping into Cardin. The bully scowls at Jaune, who attempts to feign innocence by whistling tunelessly.**

 **Goodwitch continues. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." She hold up a full jar of their objective as an example. "However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"**

"Somethings wrong!" Nora shouts, startling everyone. "Goodwitch just told us to have fun. The worlds ending!"

Ren sighs after a short chuckle with everyone else. "I'm sure she didn't mean it."

 **While Yang and her sister smile at one another, Jaune attempts to (noisily) sneak away from Cardin to his team, but the blackmailer sees this and grabs Jaune by the back. "Come on, buddy. Let's go!" Cardin says.**

 **Jaune miserably looks up at his team, where Nora and Ren are already walking into the forest's depths and Pyrrha is staring sadly at the scene. Dropping his gaze, Jaune turns and follows CRDL, to the disappointment of a sighing Pyrrha before she continues on.**

 _'So much for sticking with teammates.'_ Jaune thinks, slightly dejected but he refuses to let it show on his face.

 **Team CRDL is making themselves as comfortable as possible by leaning on stones, trees, and the ground while Jaune returns to the group with six full jars, setting them down just as he collapses face-down. The surrounding team gets up in response.**

 **"Hey, great work, Jauney boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin says.**

"I thought you said the Rapier Wasps were the last thing you did for him?" Ruby asks, confused.

"I may have forgotten about that one thing." Jaune admits. "But it was at Forever Fall that I stood up for myself."

 **Jaune is still on the ground, cross-eyed and sounding dizzy. "I think I'm allergic to this stuff..."**

"Did you do it while dealing with allergies?" Yang jokes.

"My aura helped me recover from that quickly enough." Jaune quickly defends himself.

 _'Jaune's aura can heal allergies in such a small amount of time?'_ Weiss thinks. _'He must truly have a lot of it.'_

 **"Great, great, great." Cardin ignores Jaune's pain. "So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'"**

 **Jaune, still exhausted replies. "That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."**

 _'I'm surprised he didn't ask for four, then leave Jaune without anything.'_ Blake thinks.

 **"Well, come with me, and you'll find out." Cardin reveals as Jaune sits up.**

 **Jaune moans and gulps in worry.**

 **The scene changes. Now perched on a hilltop overlooking the other students, team CRDL - plus Jaune, squeezed between Cardin and Russel - peak their heads over the crest and watch as everyone is retrieving their samples of sap. Ren, kneeling to collect it from a tree, passes a full jar to Nora, he goes to gain another one but by the time he gives the new jar to Nora, the girl can be seen with red sap over her mouth and an empty jar in her hands.**

"Is that safe?" Pyrrha asks Nora.

"It is." Ren is the one to reply. "I checked in with one of the medical staff."

"You didn't have to do that." Nora says. "I can eat just about anything."

"And yet you refuse to drink my nutrient blend." Ren accuses.

"Anything but that." Nora says.

 **Jaune turns to his left. "Cardin, wh-what's going on?"**

 **"Payback." Cardin answers sharply, still staring at the unsuspecting group.**

 **Jaune's eyes widen in understanding. "Pyrrha...?" He looks down to see her gather more sap from a tree.**

"He was aiming to hurt me?" Pyrrha is shocked by the reveal.

Jaune sighs. "Yeah. That's when I stopped letting him blackmail me."

 _'He stood up to Cardin, for me?'_ Pyrrha tries to hide her blush.

 **Jaune then tries to question Cardin. "Wh-what are you-?"**

 **"That's the girl." Cardin interrupts, pounding his fist on the ground. "Red-haired know-it-all, thinks she's so smart. Alright, boys..." He pulls out a buzzing cardboard box with a large 'W' written on its sides. "Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work."**

 _'That bastard.'_ Weiss realises what Cardin must have been planning.

 **Russel grabs Jaune by the shoulder, who barely laughs in nervousness.**

 **Cardin continues. "Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things love sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach her a thing or two." He indicates to Pyrrha who is seen finishing her sap collecting.**

"He can't honestly think he would get away with it?" Yang questions. "Goodwitch wouldn't even have a chance to punish them by the time Pyrrha's done with them."

Pyrrha nods at this. "Though I admit I would have trouble dealing with the Rapier Wasps." Even she has to admit that by the time she'd have killed them all, they would have seriously wounded her.

 **The members of CRDL get up. Cardin offers his hand to Jaune, only to painfully yank him up on his feet and shove a jar into his grasp.**

 **"And you're gonna do it." Cardin demands.**

"What!?" Ruby yells. "He didn't honestly think you would do it, did he?"

 **"Do what?" Jaune asks.**

 **"Hit her with the sap! Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." Cardin threatens.**

"That's low!" Nora yells.

"Pretty sure he would get expelled once everything is revealed." Weiss comments.

 _'He should still be expelled.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'When this is over they'll be lucky if Ozpin doesn't send them to the police.'_

 **Jaune looks down at the jar of sap in his hands and then up at the four grinning teammates waiting to see what happens. Jaune turns towards the group and aims his throw at an oblivious and smiling Pyrrha, trying to steel his nerves and shaking hand to do the deed, but ultimately steels himself for another purpose.**

 **"No." Jaune refuses.**

' _This is it.'_ Jaune thinks. _'The moment I stood up for myself.'_

 **"What did you say?" Cardin sounds annoyed.**

 **Jaune's hand shakes as he grips the jar tightly. "I said... NO!" He turns and throws the jar at Cardin, instantly recoiling his hands to himself as he looks at Cardin's breastplate covered in sap. The other team leader, however, just looks at himself and laughs darkly.**

"Quick! Open the Wasp box!" Ruby yells at the screen.

"I actually never thought of that." Jaune realises. "But in the end, I reached a much better solution."

Blake, Yang. Ren and Nora are all intrigued by Jaune's words. They never saw what happened, and it was never explained to them.

 **"Oh, you've done it now..." Cardin laughs.**

 **Jaune humorously laughs to himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defence as Dove and Lark grab Jaune's shoulders and hold him in place.**

 **The scene cuts to later, where Jaune is getting pushed to the ground, covered in injuries and groaning as he looks up and sees a sap-covered Cardin looming over him. The bigger warrior picks Jaune up by his front and grins while punching him back to the ground.**

 _'Stay calm.'_ Pyrrha repeats to herself. _'Jaune's fine, and everything is better now. I don't need to feel angry, so I won't.'_ Despite these thoughts, Pyrrha finds that she can't look at Cardin without wanting to hurt him. But she is in control of herself, and refuses to let her feelings cause unnecessary harm.

 **"You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy." Cardin remarks, as he picks up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL watches. "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces."**

"I'm gonna break him." Nora says what most of the others are thinking. "When we get back I'm gonna break both of his legs, and an arm for good measure."

"Please don't." Jaune pleads. "I don't want any of us to get in trouble."

 _'Guess we'll have to settle for not holding back in sparring matches.'_ Pyrrha thinks. Last time she fought them all at once and left them bruised. Next time they'll wish it was just bruises.

 **"I don't care what you do to me..." Jaune replies, face bruised by the earlier beatings. He then looks at Cardin with fury in his eyes. "... but you are not messing with my team."**

 _'Wow.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Jaune really is a knight in shining armour.'_

 _'I didn't know he was so serious about protecting his team.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Perhaps he does deserve to be in Beacon. His hearts in the right place at least.'_

"Why didn't you protect yourself with aura?" Yang asks.

"There wouldn't be a point." Jaune explains. "He would just hit me until I was out. By not using it I would be able to slowly heal my injuries sooner."

 **Cardin is momentarily shocked by Jaune's comeback. "What? You think talk like that makes you tough?" He lifts Jaune of the ground by his chest plate. "You think you're a big strong man now?"**

"More a man than he is." Blake comments. "Jaune doesn't blackmail others then throw a tantrum when it doesn't work."

 **Jaune smiles in defiance. An enraged Cardin roars and raises his fist again, but just as the hit connects, a bright light shines from Jaune, and when the white fades from the screen, Cardin is crying out in pain as he holds his hand.**

"What!?" Ruby yells in shock.

"…was that?" Pyrrha finishes the sentence. "What did you just do."

"I err…" Jaune tries to recall. _'I completely forgot about that. What happened?'_

"…Semblance." They overhear Weiss muttering.

"What was that?" Yang asks, not having heard clearly.

"Could that have been Jaune's Semblance?" Weiss repeats, this time more clearly.

"My Semblance!" Jaune is shocked by the revelation. "What does it do?" He's very excited about finally finding out about his special power. He can finally stand alongside the others as a capable fighter.

"We'll have to keep watching." Ren suggests. _'It might not be his Semblance, but I can't tell him that. Better to let him hope.'_

 **Jaune, now back on the ground but completely healed, looks confusedly at his hands as they faintly glow white.**

"Those bruises healed surprisingly fast given the amount of them." Weiss points out.

"Healing possibly?" Pyrrha suggests, wanting to help her partner find his Semblance.

"Then how do you explain what happened to Cardin?" Blake says. "His attack seemed to be deflected."

"We're not getting anywhere!" Jaune yells, annoyed. He finally gets a clue to his Semblance and it's impossible to figure out what it is.

"Do you remember the feeling of using it?" Ruby asks. "That's how most Semblances work. You just have to remember the feeling."

"It was a long time ago and I wasn't paying attention." Jaune answers dishearteningly.

 **While he stares though, Lark kicks Jaune in the back and gets him on his stomach, but he looks up and glares at the approaching Cardin.**

 **Cardin grins. "Let's see how much of a man you really are..."**

 **Just as he says this, a low growl is heard, and a surprised Team CRDL turns around and sees a large paw crash onto the scene, belonging to a huge Ursa Major with dozens of jagged spikes sticking out from its wide back. It leaps forward and stands over the terrified students, lifting its head in the air to smell the sap on Cardin's breastplate. It lands back on its forelegs and roars at Cardin while his teammates flee in terror.**

 **"That's a big Ursa!" One of them yells.**

 _'An Ursa major? No wonder they were running in fear.'_ Yang thinks, recalling what she remembers.

 **Cardin, in shock, is rooted to the spot when the Grimm swings its claws and knocks him sideways, revealing Jaune cowering behind him. The Ursa continues to sniff, uninterested in Jaune and following its nose to Cardin. Jaune watches at it towers over Cardin, who gets his wits and pulls out his mace weapon only for the monster to swipe it away to Jaune's feet.**

"Why is it going after Cardin?" Nora asks. "Does it like the smell of the sap on his armour?"

"Grimm aren't usually affected by such things." Weiss answers. "More likely it targets Cardin because he's feeling more fear than Jaune."

"So Cardin's a coward." Blake mutters.

"That or Jaune is particularly brave." Weiss says. _'He does seem to deal with desperate situations surprisingly well.'_

Jaune smiles at Weiss's comments. He may not know his Semblance but at least he's still good enough to support his friends.

 **Jaune looks conflicted, wondering whether to fight or run away.**

 **Meanwhile, the roar of the giant Ursa is heard by the members of Teams RWBY and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.**

 **"Did you guys hear that?" Ruby gets up from a crouch, concerned.**

 **Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL are seen running the other way from the roar through the other students.**

 **"Ursa! Ursa!" Russel cries before running into Yang accidentally.**

 _'He must be very scared to accidentally run into Yang.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Last time someone accidentally groped her, the guy almost ended up with a broken wrist.'_

 **"What?!" Yang asks, completely unfazed by the collision. She picks up the fleeing man by the front of his shirt. "Where?"**

 **Russel struggles, still trying to run in mid-air, but points back from where they came. "Back there! It's got Cardin!"**

 **Pyrrha drops her jar of sap. "Jaune!" She says in realisation.**

 **"Yang!" Ruby calls to her sister. "You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!"**

 **Dropping Russel, Yang and Blake nod before following the orders.**

 **Pyrrha turns to Ren and Nora as she and Ruby activate their weapons. "You two, go with them! There could be more!"**

 _'That's weird.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Ruby and Pyrrha should have easily gotten to us before I beat the Ursa. Did they get lost on the way?'_

 **Cut back to Cardin, who is attempting to run from the following Ursa, but it leaps over its prey and claws him away. He tries to get up and crawl away. "Crap! Crap, crap!" He yells in desperation.**

 **"Oh, no!" Pyrrha says as she, Weiss and Blake arrive in the distance.**

 _'They were there!'_ Jaune thinks. _'They saw everything. Why didn't they help?'_

 **They watch as the Ursa leans over the helpless victim, raising its paw and swiping it down... only for the attack to be blocked by Jaune's shield, Crocea Mors.**

"Someone's trying to be a hero." Yang comments. "You would help him even after everything he did to you?"

"Cardin may be a bully but that's all he is." Jaune explains. "At the end of the day he hasn't done anything bad enough to deserve death."

 _'If only everyone thought the way you do.'_ Blake thinks, recalling her previous partner and his descent into revenge.

 **Jaune struggles to defend a stunned Cardin from its attempts to lean on him, but Weiss lifts Myrtenaster as she prepares to go help.**

 **"Wait!" Pyrrha says to Weiss, not wanting to interfere with Jaune's big moment.**

"You chose to let me fight alone?" Jaune asks.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologises.

"No, no, no, no." Jaune tries to clear the misunderstanding. "I needed this fight. I'm glad you understood. This helped me gain my confidence."

This doesn't make Pyrrha feel better, knowing what she does next.

 **Jaune takes the shield out from the Ursa's paw and slashes at its stomach, causing it to stumble back, before lashing out and try to crush him. Jaune rolls out of the way and jumps over its swipe at his feet, but he is unprepared for when it launches a claw at him in mid-air.**

 _'Ouch.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But still, I was a better fighter that I thought I was before the extra training.'_

 **Jaune lands far away, yet immediately recovers, passing Cardin as he charges again. The Ursa knocks Jaune behind when he tries for a leaping attack, and he looks at the Scroll in his shield to find out that his Aura level is in the red. He grows angry again and starts to run at the Ursa as it also begins to dash towards him.**

 _'This is it.'_ Jaune thinks. _'My time to shine.'_

 **As they are just about to clash time slows down, Pyrrha sees that Jaune has left himself completely open to the Ursa's attack, and lifts her hand out to him, a dark aura surrounding her arm. Just as the Ursa is about to hit Jaune, a similar aura surrounds Jaune's shield and makes it lift up to block the swipe. Jaune uses the surprise defensive move to lean on the ground, push his shield back up, and swing his blade right through the Ursa's neck, decapitating it. The head falls to the ground as the body slams onto the ground.**

Realisation crashes down on Jaune like a pack of Griffon. "What…?" He mumbles.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologises, looking down to her lap, sorrowful.

"But I thought that I…" Jaune murmurs, lost in thought.

"You still did great." Ruby tries to uplift the mood. "Not many people would charge an Ursa Major."

 _'That was meant to be my big moment. The time I truly became a Beacon student.'_ Jaune bemoans.

 _'No.'_ Jaune internally refuses. _'I won't let these videos create any more negative emotions. We were already divided enough by the last one and I won't let this do the same.'_ He turns to Pyrrha with a smile. "Thanks for the save Pyrrha. You really helped me back then."

"You're… not mad?" Pyrrha asks, confused by the sudden change.

"You did what you did to help me." Jaune replies cheerfully. "Why would I be mad?"

 _'Thank you.'_ Pyrrha thinks, realising what he's trying to do.

 **Still a far distance from the fight, Ruby turns to Pyrrha as the girl in questions hand stops glowing "Uhh... What?"**

 **Weiss is equally amazed by this development. "How did you...?"**

 **As Weiss trails of, Pyrrha answers the question. "Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your Glyphs. My Semblance is polarity."**

 _'Not long. It's not long until I figure out my semblance. I'm sure the videos will help me.'_ Jaune thinks hopefully.

 **"Whoa, you can control poles..." Ruby comments.**

 **"No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss explains.**

 **Ruby, still impressed, whispers. "Magnets are cool, too..."**

"Ruby's not necessarily wrong." Ren says. "Pyrrha might be controlling the magnetic poles of objects."

"Sorry but that's wrong." Pyrrha admits. "It's actually more like a telekinesis that only works on metals."

"How do you know this?" Weiss asks, curious.

"I can also move non-magnetic metals such as copper." Pyrrha explains. "It's just easier to define as polarity."

 **Weiss notices as Pyrrha start to leave. "Wait, where are you going?"**

 **"Yeah!" Ruby agrees. "We gotta tell them what happened!"**

 **"We could... Or perhaps we could keep it our little secret?" Pyrrha asserted. She walks away again as Ruby and Weiss smile to each other in understanding and a bruised Jaune sheathes his weapon, the picture of confidence, before going over to Cardin.**

"Thanks. I really needed the confidence boost." Jaune says cheerfully. Pyrrha smiles in response.

"You're not annoyed?" Yang asks the question on several peoples mind. "You're taking this surprisingly well."

"We've no reason to get angry over the past like this." Jaune says. "We should just move on and be glad about the outcome."

 **Cardin, still covered in sap, looks up at Jaune as his saviour offers a hand. Cardin smiles as he takes it and is lifted back up on his feet.**

 **"Holy crap, Jaune!" Cardin can't hide the impressed tone in his voice.**

"Now he's impressed!" Yang is insulted by the change in character. "Is he really so morally weak that he jumps on whatever benefits him most?"

"It's sad but most people are motivated by personal desires and self-preservation." Blake agrees. "Not many people are willing to stand up for something that doesn't benefit them."

 **"Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again." Jaune threatens as he stares Cardin dead in the eyes. "Got it?"**

 **Cardin looks intimidated, possibly even apologetic. With his order spoken, Jaune turns and walks away from a frozen Cardin.**

"Wow Jaune." Ruby comments. "Never knew you could be so bad-ass."

"It was nothing." Jaune tries to wave it off. "I just wanted to make him understand that he's not allowed to hurt us."

"You were very brave." Pyrrha compliments. "Not many people are willing to stand up to bullies like that, and even fewer can make them stop without resorting to the language of violence."

 _'Too many people think violence is the only way to be heard.'_ Blake thinks. _'And though they are heard, the only thing people hear is that they are criminals and savages.'_ Her mood drops, thinking of the terrible reputation the White Fang has earned.

 **The scene changes to later that night, on top of the dorm building, a uniformed Jaune stands on the edge and looks into the distance at the green lights of Beacon.**

 **"No Cardin tonight?" Pyrrha appears and walks to Jaune's side. "I thought you two were best buds?"**

 _'She knew I'd resolved everything.'_ Jaune realises. _'That's why she chose to see me that night.'_

 **Jaune turns to face her. "Pyrrha... I'm sorry. I was a jerk! You were only trying to be nice, and... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head…"**

 **"Jaune!" Pyrrha interrupts. "It's okay!" As they smile at one another, she adds. "Your team really misses their leader, you know." She begins to walk to the exit. "You should come down! Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though - you can thank Nora for that!"**

"I'm still surprised I was able to get one." Jaune says, then turns to Ren. "How did you keep them from Nora?"

"I know the capacity of Nora's appetite." Ren explains. "I merely made the amount to match."

 _'This system has forced me to surrender my wallet more than once.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Thankfully I have money to spare, so as long as they aren't extorting me everything should be fine.'_

 **Jaune smiles, but holds out his hand and calls out. "Wait!" Hearing this Pyrrha turns around, and Jaune looks sheepish. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but... would you still be willing to help me... to help me become a better fighter?"**

 **Pyrrha turns around so a worried Jaune won't see her satisfied smile. She goes up to Jaune and suddenly pushes her leader to the ground.**

 **"Hey!" Jaune whines.**

"I suppose that's one way of teaching." Weiss comments.

"I just wanted to make it clear." Pyrrha explains. "Understanding the weaknesses of your current stance helps immensely in changing it."

 **Pyrrha stands over him with her arms on her hips and an evaluating tone. "Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground." She offers him her hand, which he graciously accepts, and they continue to hold on to and grin at each other. "Let's try that again."**

 **The camera moves above the two and on the night sky over the school before the scene cuts to black.**

"That was nice." Yang comments. "I hope we get more videos like this.

"How many more videos can we expect before we get to the future?" Blake wonders.

"It's hard to say." Jaune admits. "The menu said it was divided into volumes, so I expect it will start a new volume. Not sure if it will be the next one though."

"How many more videos do you think we can expect in this volume?" Pyrrha asks.

"Not sure." Jaune says. "Probably between two and twelve more. With a good chance of four."

"Enough about that, what about your Semblance?" Ruby asks. "How can we figure out what it really is?"

"Normally the best method would be repeating the original scenario…" Weiss points out. Pyrrha narrows her eyes at this. "…but that's clearly not an option." She quickly finishes her sentence.

"We should simply watch more." Ren gives an answer. "That should solve most of our problems. Or at least help us find a way to make an informed strategy."

With this they decide to watch the next video.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I just realised that I've basically gotten rid of Ren's Notes. Do you think it should make a return when important knowledge is learnt? It won't be in most of the volume 2 chapters anyway, but for volume 3 it will be much easier to justify (all events will be worthy of note since it's the future)**

 **The bit about aura healing allergies just came to me in a moment of inspiration. If later info contradicts this than I will change/remove it.**


	14. V1: C9: The Stray

**A/N**

 **My plan for the future is to release a chapter every four days. I will do half of a chapter transcripts both the first two days, and half the original writing both of other two. That said, I made a mistake and did the entire transcripts in a single day. So have a chapter a day early.**

 **I've gone back to fix some problems with the first two chapters (of my story). There is nothing new, so you don't have to go back but just know that the red trailer now has much more detail. I also plan on changing everything to present tense in all the earlier chapters.**

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 9: The Stray**

 _'This is about the time I ran away.'_ Blake thinks. _'I can't remember anything important happening in-between, and that title refers to a stray cat.'_ She rubs her bow slash ears.

 **The opening ends to an overview of the streets of Vale being decorated in time for the Vytal Festival. Red, yellow, and green streamers and balloons are proudly on display, and Team RWBY is strolling through it all with an awed Weiss Schnee in the front. A sign is being put up by an elderly Shop keep that reads in bright red letters "WELCOME TO VALE!" for all the foreign newcomers from their respective kingdoms of Remnant.**

"I remember that day!" Ruby yells. "It was the day we bumped into Penny."

 _'Among other things.'_ Yang thinks. Choosing to treat the situation delicately.

" **The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!" Weiss stops and raises her arms in amazement.**

 **"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss." Ruby says, then frowns a little "It's kinda weirding me out..."**

"I smile all the time!" Weiss crosses her arms. "I'm a happy person."

"You tend not to show it though." Ruby says. "Especially not in public."

"I just think it's best to be on guard when you don't know the intention of those around you." Weiss replies. Truth is, she's spent years worrying about being attacked by the White Fang.

 **"How could you not smile?" Weiss turns to Ruby. "A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breath-taking!" she continues walking and the others follow her.**

 **Yang sighs, arms crossed. "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."**

 **"Quiet, you!" Weiss snaps.**

"Why does it take so long to prepare anyway?" Yang asks. "I never understood why preparations start so early."

"It's more than just a tournament." Weiss explains. "The Vytal festival is meant to be a great long-lasting festival that celebrates the peace. People from all over the world come to see it and the Vale council does what it can to ensure they have a good impression of the city. Each time people come earlier and earlier to beat the traffic and enjoy the festival in full, so the council starts preparations earlier and makes bigger plans. This has lead to the festival practically spanning months despite the tournament only lasting a few weeks at most."

"Which book are you quoting." Nora jokes.

"Several." Weiss replies seriously. "I simply summarised the key points."

 _'No need to take it so literally.'_ Jaune thinks.

 **As they walk they eventually come to the docks, where the sounds of foghorns are heard in the background. "Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asks.**

 **Ruby covers her nose. "Ugh, they smell like fish!"**

 _'I kinda like the smell.'_ Blake thinks. _'It reminds me of all the delicious meals fish can make.'_

 **Weiss answers "I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!"**

 **As Weiss starts walking away, Blake reveals the real reason. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."**

 **Weiss scoffs at the accusation. "You can't prove that!"**

"Note how she says prove." Blake says. "She doesn't deny it."

"Preparation is a key point in any battle." Weiss retorts.

"You also have to learn to fight unprepared." Pyrrha points out. "If your opponent has a semblance that you aren't prepared for it's best to be able to adapt in the moment."

"In other words, Weiss just wants to show of in the tournament." Yang says.

"Can you honestly say you won't be disappointed if we don't make it to the finals?" Weiss asks.

"I didn't say that!" Yang replies hurriedly.

 _'I wonder who we'll sent to the finals.'_ Ruby thinks.

 **"Whoa." Ruby notices something down the street. Her team looks to see a Dust store with a shattered window and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force.**

 **They choose to approach the detective in front, who is writing on his pad. "What happened here?" Ruby asks.**

 **"Robbery." The detective answers. "Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle."**

"I'm surprised there were still Dust shops willing to do business." Jaune says.

"That could never happen." Weiss explains. "Dust is far too important in daily life for them to close shop. The council wouldn't allow it."

 **Yang sighs sadly. "That's terrible."**

 **A different detective talks to the first one. "They left all the money again."**

 **Hearing this Ruby turns her head "Huh?"**

 **The first detective responds. "Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?"**

"It's a good thing we finally stopped Torchwick." Ruby says enthusiastically. "There haven't been any robberies since."

"We helped!" Nora announces loudly.

 **"I don't know, an army?" The second detective proposes.**

 **"You thinking the White Fang?" first detective asks.**

 **The second detective removes his sunglasses. "Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."**

 _'How did it come to this?'_ Blake wonders. _'How did the White Fang escalate to the point of stealing Dust under the orders of a human criminal.'_ Blake is hopeful that this will be answered, but deep down she already knows.

 **Hearing this, Team RWBY starts its own conversation.**

 **"Hmph! The White Fang." Weiss crosses her arms while pointing her nose in the air with her eyes closed. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"**

 **"What's your problem?" Blake asks accusingly.**

"Oh god." Weiss regrets her past actions. She turns to Blake "I'm so sorry for everything I said and will say."

"It's in the past." Blake forgives. "We already dealt with this."

The members of JNPR raise their eyebrows at this. They were never told about this part, only that they eventually stopped a Dust robbery.

 **Weiss turns to Blake and responds. "My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."**

 _'They're still criminals.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I don't plan on taking that back.'_

 **"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake crosses her arms now, getting serious. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."**

 **"Misguided?" Weiss questions sarcastically. "They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"**

"They don't!" Blake says loudly. "They want to be treated fairly, but there willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve it. I don't like their methods, but don't make light of what their goal is."

 **"So then they're very misguided." Blake raises her voice. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"**

 **"Hmm... Blake's got a point." Ruby admits. "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Maybe it was him."**

 _'I suppose in a way Ruby was right.'_ Blake thinks. _'But it wasn't just Torchwick.'_

 **"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss continues her prejudice speech, much to Blake's growing anger. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."**

"Wow." Jaune remarks. "You were kinda…"

"Insufferably smug." Weiss finishes the sentence for him. "I was letting our steam. I know my actions were wrong, so please don't bring this up more than you have to."

 **"That's not necessarily true..." Yang disagrees.**

 **The conversation is suddenly halted when someone in the background yells "Hey, stop that Faunus!"**

"Why did it happen at that exact moment." Yang mutters. "It's like someone was trying to prove a point."

"It does seem unusual how well timed these things happen." Ren says. "Are you certain it happened like that? No changes for comedic effect?"

"I think so…" Ruby tries to answer.

"That was exactly how it happened." Weiss interrupts. "I remember thinking that it proved my point." Realising what she just said, Weiss quickly adds. "Now I know that Sun is just a troublemaker of his own fault."

 **As the team overhears the cry for help and rush over to investigate, Sun Wukong is seen running down the length of a boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him.**

 **Sun looks back at his pursuers. "Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!" He jumps off and hits the dock running.**

"That was how you first met Sun?" Pyrrha asks.

"Met is a strong word." Yang responds. "We sorta just… encountered him."

Seeing the confused looks on the other teams faces, Ruby says, "Just wait a bit and it'll be clear."

 **"You no-good stowaway!" One of the sailors yells.**

 **Sun stops at a lamppost, using his tail to hang from it while he peels back a banana. "Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" Before can eat though, one of the detectives down below throws a stone at him to get his attention.**

"Why didn't he travel legally?" Jaune asks.

"He wanted to get to Vale early, but the school refused to pay for him traveling alone." Blake explains.

"Then why didn't he travel with the rest of his team." Jaune is curious.

"There were complications." Blake gives a half truth. _'In reality the only transport that early was by boat. And Neptune was having no part in that.'_

 **"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" One detective yells.**

 **Sun drops the banana peel on the detective's face, who growls in return. The monkey Faunus twirls up to crouch on the lamppost, laughs in amusement, and proceeds to leap off and run away from the detectives.**

 _'No regard for law enforcement.'_ Weiss chooses not to say this out loud, not wanting to dig herself a bigger hole.

 **As Sun runs past Team RWBY, he winks at an astonished Blake in slow motion before time speeds up again and he continues to be chased by the officers.**

"Well that was something." Nora comments.

"Did he realise you're a Faunus?" Yang asks.

"Yes." Blake replies.

"How?" Yang is anxious that a complete stranger was able to figure it out while she couldn't even after an entire semester of being partners.

"He has good intuition." Blake replies. "And us Faunus are good at identifying each other."

 **They all watch as the Faunus get farther and farther away. "Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." Yang says.**

 **"Quick!" Weiss holds up a finger. "We have to observe him!"**

"You have a plan to beat team SSSN?" Jaune asks.

"Several." Weiss reveals, to her teammates surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ruby demands an answer.

"I did." Weiss responds. "You said you didn't care."

"I can't remember that."

"It was just a couple weeks ago."

"You sure?"

 _'She must have been too busy studying.'_ Weiss realises. "I guess I didn't. I'll bring you the notes when this entire thing is over." _'Better to not make her think she's been a bad leader.'_

 **Weiss, Yang, and Ruby give chase. Blake stands still, lost in thought, then comes back to reality and follows her friends.**

"Someone seems interested." Nora slyly comments.

Blake blushes at this. "I was just surprised he figured it out!"

 **The team rounds the next corner, but then Weiss bumps into someone and trips. She looks up only to see Sun jump on to a building and disappear from her view.**

 **"No, he got away!" Weiss complains.**

 **"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang points strangely at the girl underneath her teammate.**

"Penny!" Ruby cheers at seeing her friend.

 **Weiss finally sees that she fell on a smiling girl, which startles the heiress and she hastily gets up.**

 **"Sal-u-ta-tions!" Penny greets them, still down on the ground, smiling widely.**

"You guys have a tendency to meet weird people." Jaune comments. Ruby had already told him and is team about how she'd become friends with an Atlas contestant.

"We're just lucky." Yang waves it off.

 **"Um... hello." Ruby responds.**

 **"Are you... okay?" Yang asks, concerned.**

 **"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking." Penny remains laying on the floor.**

"I remember her being unusual, but this is outright abnormal." Nora says.

"Penny's had a rather sheltered childhood." Ruby explains. "This is one of her first times in public by herself."

 _'Most people would choose to avoid others in a situation like that.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

 **The team looks at each other in bewilderment before Yang speaks up again. "Do you... wanna get up?"**

 **Penny thinks about this for a moment. Then replies, "Yes!" she leaps back on her feet while the team steps back a little. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"**

 _'Penny's a great person, but she seemed so unaccustomed to general life to begin with.'_ Yang thinks. _'It's mostly thanks to Ruby that she can now fit in as well as she does.'_

 **"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby." Ruby introduces herself.**

 **"I'm Weiss." Weiss does the same.**

 **"Blake." The black-haired girl gives a short self-introduction.**

 **"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asks. But then Blake hits her side. "Oh, I'm Yang."**

 **"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny repeats in the exact same tone as before.**

"She seems very… artificial." Ren comments. "Her voice sounded exactly as it did before."

"She's very sheltered." Ruby tries to explain. _'I can't tell them about her being a robot. That's not my secret to share.'_

 **"You already said that." Weiss points out.**

 **Penny pauses again, clearly thinking. "So I did!" she eventually responds.**

 **"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss apologises as she, Yang and Blake turn around and start walking away.**

 **Ruby waves her arm. "Take care, friend!" She then turns to follow her team, not noticing Penny's eyes figuratively light up at her words.**

 _'To think that one simple word and a misunderstanding is all it takes to start a friendship.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Not that I would ever take it back.'_

 **Once they get far enough away from a startled Penny Yang comments. "She was... weird..."**

 **Weiss looks to her right, searching for something. "Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" She turns her head forward to see something unexplainable.**

 **"What did you call me?" Penny asks. Now standing in front of them.**

"Holy…!" Jaune yells in surprise. "How did she get there so fast."

"She's quite fast." Blake points out. "There was also a larger amount of time between us walking away and Yang's comment. I think the video simply didn't include it because it was saving us time watching?"

 **"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Yang apologises, as Weiss looks back and forth in shock.**

 **"No, not you." Penny walks through the group and leans her head down to Ruby. "You!"**

 _'Wait… what?'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Did Ruby say something wrong?'_

 **"Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..." Ruby stutters, confused about what she did wrong.**

 **"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny sounds extremely excited about the idea.**

Most of JNPR look to Ruby with questioning faces.

"I'm her first friend." Ruby explains. "She didn't really understand very well."

 _'This goes beyond simply being sheltered.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Is it possible she has a mental disability.'_ She doesn't mean anything bad by these thoughts, just that she's curious.

 **"Uuuum..." Ruby struggles for an answer. She looks over Penny's shoulder to see her teammates motion to deny her. "Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?" she answers.**

 **Ruby's teammates comically faint, but Penny looks overjoyed and laughs. "Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"**

"That's exactly what Weiss said when Ruby asked to be friends." Nora recalls.

"I honestly never noticed that." Weiss reveals. "I guess it's because there was such a large gap between events."

 **Ruby groanings to Weiss as the heiress brushes herself off. "Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?"**

 **"No… she seems far more coordinated." Weiss says.**

"At least I didn't cause an explosion." Ruby says.

"I admit that was my fault." Weiss replies. "But you should have said something."

"I'm sorry." Ruby responds sarcastically. "I was too busy having Dust thrown in my face."

"Enough banter." Yang says. "Let's get back to watching."

 **"So… what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asks.**

 **"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny answers.**

 **"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss is suddenly very interested.**

 **"I'm combat ready!" Penny salutes.**

"You have a strategy for fighting her too?" Jaune asks Weiss.

"I would." Weiss responds. "If she ever participated in the training sessions."

 _'I doubt she will be attending any.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Ironwood probably wants to keep her capabilities secret.'_

 **"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss comments.**

 **"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake retorts.**

 **Weiss crosses her arms in defiance. "It's a combat skirt!**

 **Ruby speeds over to Weiss' side. "Yeah!" Weiss holds out her hand and Ruby low-fives it.**

"Don't look down on us." Nora cracks her knuckles. "It may be the last thing you do." She jokes.

 _'Good to see how in sync we were.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It will definitely help in the tournament.'_

 **"Wait a minute." Realization hits Weiss. She walks over to Penny and grabs her by the shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?"**

"Sorry to break it to you Weiss. But Sun is from Mistral while Penny's from Atlas." Ruby mentions.

"I know that now." Weiss snaps. "But at the time it seemed like a logical conclusion."

 _'Except for the way you defined him.'_ Blake thinks.

 **"The who...?" Penny questions.**

 **"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Weiss holds up a poor drawing of the criminal-in-question.**

 **"Why do you keep saying that?!" Blake yells, annoyed.**

"And this is where it starts." Yang comments.

"What starts?" Jaune asks.

"The longest and most tedious argument I've ever seen." Ruby explains.

"We weren't arguing for that long." Weiss protests.

"I'm sure the video will beg to differ." Yang says.

 **Weiss turns her attention from Penny to Blake. "Huh?"**

 **Blake walks over to Weiss, anger in her voice. "Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"**

 **"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss remarks sarcastically, releasing Penny. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?" She motions to the relevant, street items.**

Weiss covers her face with her hands. _'Oh god. Did I really sound like that?'_ "I can't apologise enough."

"Just don't let it happen again." Blake responds calmly. In truth she's rather annoyed hearing all this again. But she was always taught its best to forgive those that are ashamed of their past actions, so she chooses to ignore it.

 **"Stop it!" Blake yells.**

 **"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss says.**

"Sun actually hates the White Fang." Blake mentions. "When I first mentioned them to him he said they were 'Stupid holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want'"

"I admit that I was wrong about that." Weiss says. "But he's still a troublemaker, and I say that based on his own actions."

"Fair enough." Blake acknowledges. "He does have a tendency to but in on things that aren't his problem."

 **Blake growls, clenching her fist. "You ignorant little brat!"**

 **Weiss looks offended, but when Blake walks away, she follows. "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!"**

"What causes a person to think like that?" Jaune asks, only to receive a glare from Weiss. "I don't mean to offend." He quickly defends himself. "I was just wondering what causes such ignorance."

Weiss sighs. "I never hated Faunus, I simply found it hard to trust them. It's all about personal experiences. Before came to Beacon, the only experiences I had with Faunus were negative. It's hard to give a person the benefit of the doubt if the only thing you can associate them with is bad memories. Learning the history and understanding the reasons can only take you so far."

"That's one of the reasons the White Fang is so dangerous." Blake adds. "The more damage they do, the more humans will distance themselves from Faunus. We may stop receiving hate on a daily basis due to the fear, but eventually some greedy officials will choose to take advantage of us. And by then there won't be any humans to support us. You can already see this happening with the Schnee Dust Mines."

Both teams sit in silence after hearing such a heavy discussion. When they started these videos none of them expected something so political.

"So how do we fix it?" Ruby is the first to speak.

"I'm not sure." Blake admits. "Stopping the White Fang would be a good start, but doing so with violence would do more harm than good." _'How am I going to undo so much hate? Why can the answer never be easy?'_

 **"You are a judgmental little girl." Blake says.**

 **"What in the world makes you say that?" Weiss asks.**

 **"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!" Blake reasons.**

"That's surprisingly philosophical for an argument." Pyrrha mentions.

"I read a lot." Blake admits. "I've also put a lot of thought into this ongoing debate."

 **Yang slides up to Ruby, looking uncomfortable. "Um, I think we should probably go..." she says over the sound of Weiss and Blake arguing.**

 **Penny popping up behind Ruby, smiling. "Where are we going?"**

 _'Penny was so happy to make a friend.'_ Ruby smiles. _'I should invite her to a get together some time soon.'_

 **"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss sounds triumphant.**

 **"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Blake disagrees.**

"Unfortunately, well thought arguments don't usually work against those who only hear what they want." Blake continues from before.

Weiss is about to protest that she does listen, but decides not to. _'I told myself I wouldn't defend my past self's arguments.'_

 **As Yang and Ruby continue to observe, the scene shifts from afternoon near the docks to night-time in their dorm room.**

 **"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" Weiss says.**

 **"That is the problem!" Blake shouts.**

"It skipped most of the argument!" Ruby cheers.

"Thank God" Yang breaths a sigh of relief. "I did not want to listen though all that again."

"Did they really argue the entire way?" Jaune asks in surprise.

"Yep." Ruby confirms. "The only break they took was to drink some water."

"If not for what they were saying, I would be impressed." Yang admits. "For them to argue loudly for hours is a rather remarkable feat."

 **Weiss gets up from her bed. "You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"**

 **Blake gets on her feet as well. "There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"**

"I would have to argue that the Grimm are probably pure evil." Ruby mentions. "There is no recorded case of them ever doing something constructive without the intent of causing destruction."

"I admit that the Grimm are pure evil." Blake says. "But I don't think they even have the capacity to do good. People who can do good things but choose to do bad are arguably worse."

 _'I would still prefer a world without Grimm to one without conflict.'_ Ruby thinks.

 **"People like me?" Weiss is offended.**

 **"You're discriminatory!" Blake yells.**

 **"I'm a victim!" Weiss yells back. As they stare each other down in silence, Weiss leans in close, leering as she speaks quietly. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?"**

 **Weiss leans against the bookshelf by the window. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." She bangs her fist on the bookshelf.**

"Wow." Jaune comments. "That was heavy."

"I told you before." Weiss says. "It's all about personal experiences."

"I'm sorry for the train car." Blake interjects. "But I promise I had nothing to do with the other things. I was actively against the killing." Her voice indicates she's being very sincere.

"I don't hate you." Weiss responds. "In fact I should be thanking you for saving the men on that train car."

Blake subtlety nods her head, smiling. _'It's good to know I did the right thing in the end. But I should have done more. I should have helped Adam understand the harm he's doing. Instead I just ran.'_ She's no longer smiling at this point.

 **Ruby goes over to comfort her. "Weiss, I-"**

 **"No!" Weiss yells as she turns away and walks back over to Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"**

 **"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake shouts in a moment high emotion.**

 _'So she revealed it by accident.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I always thought she chose to tell us once she knew we could be trusted.'_

 **Silence drops down on the scene again. A surprised Weiss backs away slowly, and Blake realizes her mistake.**

 **"I... I..." Blake looks around at her teammates uncomfortably before dashing out the door.**

 _'Here I do it again.'_ Blake frowns. _'I encounter a problem I don't want to face head on, so I run away. I'm such a coward.'_

 **"Blake, wait! Come back!" Ruby runs over to the door and calls to her down the hallway as Yang sits herself down and Weiss looks downwards.**

 _'She should have talked to us.'_ Yang thinks. _'Why did she have to abandon us?'_ In truth she knows the reason, and accepted it once Blake came back. She was thinking of someone else.

 **Blake runs outside and arrives at a statue of an armoured man with a sword and a hooded woman wielding an axe on an outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in particular.**

"That statue isn't meant to symbolise discrimination." Pyrrha says. "It's meant to symbolise teamwork and triumph over the Grimm."

"I know, but it's sometimes hard not to see it." Blake says. "Some of the worst insults against Faunus are about comparing us to the Grimm."

"I've never heard anything like that." Ruby says.

 _'I hope you never do.'_ Yang thinks. _'It was hard enough keeping her from swearwords until she was ten. I hope she never has to hear any of those words.'_

 **She closes her eyes and slowly lifts her arms up to her bow and pulls the string to release the bow from her hair. She wipes away a tear away as the perspective pulls up to reveal her Faunus ears.**

 _'So that's what they look like.'_ Weiss thinks. Blake had tried very hard to keep her second pair of ears hidden from her for some reason.

 **On the verge of crying, Blake becomes startled when she hears a voice above her.**

 **"I knew you would look better without the bow." Sun voice is heard.**

 **Blake turns around and looks up.**

"So I guess Sun was registering his arrival at Beacon." Jaune says.

"Yes. He decided to go exploring and ended up seeing me." Blake explains.

 **The scene shifts to morning at Beacon. Ruby wakes up from her beauty sleep, yawning in the process. She looks over at Blake's empty bunk, and groans sadly.**

Blake bows her head slightly, feeling guilty.

 **The scene then shifts again to Ruby, Weiss, and Yang walking through the empty streets of Vale.**

" **She's been gone all weekend..." Ruby says sadly.**

 **"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself!" Weiss says uncaring for the situation.**

 **"Weiss, come on. She's one of our teammates." Yang defends her partner.**

 **"Is she? We all heard what she said!" Weiss points out.**

 _'I thought Weiss got over it earlier than that.'_ Blake feels a tight pain.

 **"Weiss." Ruby snaps, telling her to shut up.**

 **"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she's missing, and we need to find her!" Yang has decided to give Blake the benefit of the doubt.**

"Thanks." Blake says to her partner.

"What are friends for." Yang replies.

 **"A member of the White Fang! Right underneath our noses!" Weiss says.**

Weiss suddenly feels very guilty about her attitude. _'I should have at least shown some concern.'_

 **"I just hope she's okay..." Ruby mutters.**

 **Elsewhere, Blake is sipping a cup of tea and sighing. She looks up at Sun sitting across from her, who holds his drink with his tail as his hand props his head up. He takes a sip when Blake puts her cup down.**

 **"So, you want to know more about me..." Blake says.**

 **She looks at him intently as the screen fades to black and the video ends.**

"So, next video?" Jaune asks.

Blake nods her head. "This is clearly a bad time to stop."

Now with Blake's permission, Nora selects the next video.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I know it's a running gag in fanfics to replace the word God with Oum, but I feel like that wouldn't fit for this fic. What are your thoughts?**

 **I'm also wondering when I should have Blake remove her bow in the present. I may have it be as late as mid volume 4. But if a good opportunity arises before then, I plan on taking it. Any suggestions?**


	15. V1: FC: Black and White

**A/N**

 **I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I will not be having Penny join the viewing at least until we learn more about her. The current information is too scarce but obviously relevant for her to be able to talk freely without creating plot holes.**

 **As for adding Neptune. Only if he shows more relevance in the story. People I have decided will very likely join the viewing are: Sun, Ilia and Oscar. When they will join is up to me though you may give suggestions. Please tell me if I'm missing anyone important.**

 **How far will this story be going? All the way if everything goes according to plan. This is why I have to be very careful not to add details that may conflict with canon. Whenever a new volume is released I will go back and edit previous chapters to fit with the current source information.**

 **I re-watched some random parts of the show and realised that Penny had never met Pyrrha before (V3C9). Because of this I have edited the previous chapter to match. If you notice a problem similar to this one, then leave a review and I'll mention you in the next chapter (unless you choose not to be mentioned)**

* * *

 **Volume 1: Final Chapter: Black and White**

"Final chapter?" Ruby says in surprise.

"I guess Jaune was right." Yang mentions. "Ten chapters in the volume."

"It was just a guess based on how this structured similarly to the shows I've watched." Jaune says modestly.

 **The opening ends to the view of the balcony café in the middle of Vale where Sun and Blake were seen last video drinking tea. Sun is holding his cup with his tail.**

"Do all Faunus use their extra body parts so openly?" Weiss asks out of curiosity. She hasn't seen many Faunus before coming to Beacon.

 **"Finally, she speaks!" Sun raises his arms in relief. "Nearly two days and you gave me nothing but small talk and weird looks!" Blake responds by giving Sun a firm look. "Yeah, like that."**

"Two days!" Nora is shocked by this. "I couldn't go an hour without talking, how'd you manage it for two days."

"I was unsure what to do." Blake answers. "I was weighing my options on what to do and making sure Sun could be trusted. In the end I decided to tell him my story and hear his thoughts."

"You could have talked to one of us about it." Yang says. "Why would you trust someone you just met over your teammates." _'You haven't even told me your story in its entirety.'_

"When I left I had practically told you I was a member of the White Fang." Blake explains. "Without mentioning the fact I had left. I was unsure of how you would react to me coming back."

 _'In other words she was worried I would try to get her arrested.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Blake rolls her eyes before closing them and looking at him sadly. "Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?"**

 **"Of course!" Sun puts down his cup for a moment. "I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!"**

"I had no idea that he thought so badly of them." Weiss says in shock.

"Most peace-loving Faunus think the same way." Blake explains. "It's one of the reasons I left."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks.

Blake sighs. "When the White Fang turned violent, I rarely had a part in any of it. I was usually sent on the more peaceful missions. I think the high leader wanted to keep me away from the fighting. Because of this, I didn't know amount the most extreme movements until quite a while later. One day though, I was sent to recruit new potential members, but some of them complained to me, listed the terrible things the White Fang's done. I didn't believe the rumours until then, I thought it was just some bigoted humans exaggerating the truth. But to hear it from the very people we were supposed to help… After some time thinking, and learning more about the law's broken and lives ruined, I decided to leave."

Now with that weight finally of her shoulders, Blake turns to see everyone's reaction, Weiss in particular.

"I… I had no idea." The heiress says.

"I don't like talking about it." Blake admits. "But if all our secrets are going to be revealed, then I might as well say it myself."

Weiss nods at this, deciding to bring something up of her own. "I never hated Faunus. I was just scared that they might be in the White Fang."

"I know." Blake reveals. "And given your situation, I can't blame you. I've overheard the members a few times, talking about how they want to get revenge on the Schnee's."

 _'So even now my father is still making things difficult for me.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Blake sips her drink while listening until she speaks up for the big reveal. "I was once a member of the White Fang."**

 **Sun promptly goes cross-eyed and chokes on his drink, making him put it down and wipe his mouth as he holds up a hand to process this information. "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?!"**

"That must have been a shock." Ruby says.

"I could have been a bit lighter on the reveal." Blake admits.

"Nahh… you should be proud." Yang says. "I've always wanted to make someone choke on their drink from shock."

 **"That's right." Blake answers "I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..."**

 _'That long!'_ Yang thinks. ' _Does that mean her parents are members, or is it possible she's an orphan.'_ Blake has never talked to them about her past, and Yang knows it's best not to ask.

 **The scene shifts to a simple silhouetted flashback of fallen weapons plunged into the ground - swords, guns, any number of combinations.**

 **Blake's voice is heard off-screen. "Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus."**

"How did the they change so much?" Ruby asks.

"People wanted an easy solution." Blake explains. "They wanted to be able to do something with immediate noticeable results. Regardless of what it may eventually cause."

 **The dark outlines of two trios appear - animal-eared and tailed Faunus on one side, regular Humans on the other - shaking hands and making peace after their struggle. This does not last long, as seen by a white Faunus cowering in fear of the gray-and-black aggressors harassing the hybrid. Later, more Faunus are pushing the crowd away from their bullied brethren.**

 **"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate." Blake continues. "Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there."**

"I'll never understand discrimination." Jaune says. "It just doesn't seem to make any sense."

"Some people can only feel good about themselves by thinking of others as less than them." Blake says. "Then organisations and companies bandwagon on this to introduce things like inferior working conditions and slavery. All so they can earn some quick lien."

Hearing this, Weiss stiffens. _'I know what my father's done, and while I don't think he considers Faunus as less than human, he is certainly not afraid to use it as an excuse to earn some money.'_

 **Silhouettes of Faunus protestors are revealed, and emerging from the shadows is a young girl with dark hair and cat ears.**

 **"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. And I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."**

 _'Oh my God. Young Blake looks so cute!'_ Yang thinks. _'No! Stop it!'_ she berates herself mentally. ' _This is a serious matter and I should treat it as such.'_ What Yang doesn't know is that some of the others are having similar thoughts.

 **Cutting from the child version of Blake, the blue flag of a white wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head is lowered, and raised in its stead is a red monster with three bloody scratches and teeth bared at the world.**

 **"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking."**

"So they're the one who decided to join with Torchwick?" Pyrrha asks.

"I don't know." Blake replies. "I doubt it. She doesn't like to work with humans."

 **A quick series of images are shown - Faunus replacing their picket signs with axes and blades, windows being broken, thieves leaping on trains to steal their cargo.**

 **"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labour. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."**

 **The flashback shows one more image of three Faunus individuals standing in a dominating manner with malicious grins.**

 _'They don't understand what they're doing.'_ Blake thinks. _'They don't realise that they're becoming the very think they fight against.'_

 **The flashback ends as Blake puts down her teacup in front of a stunned Sun.**

 **"So, I left." Blake says. "I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." She wiggles her cat ears beneath the fashionable disguise to demonstrate.**

"You did a good thing." Ruby says. "Hunters are considered heros. So by aiming to become one, you're helping the image of Faunus."

Blake smiles at this. She has had similar thoughts before. _'Perhaps if I become well known enough for doing good deeds, it will help people learn to value the Faunus as equals.'_

 **Sun slowly comes to terms with this. "So... have you told your friends any of this?"**

 **Blake merely looks down in shame and says nothing.**

 **The scene transitions to Ruby, Yang, and Weiss walking through town and calling in vain for their missing teammate.**

 **"Blake!" Ruby shouts**

 **"Blake!" Yang also calls out.**

 **Ruby continues to scream. "Blake! Where are you!?"**

"You were quite vocal in your search." Blake comments.

"What else were we meant to do?" Ruby asks. "You left your scroll, so we had no way of contacting you."

 **"Blake!" Yang yells.**

 **"Weiss." Ruby turns to her partner, annoyed. "You're not helping!"**

 **"Oh! You know what might be able to help? The police!" Weiss states.**

 _'She really wanted to tell the police!'_ Blake thinks. _'I guess it makes sense.'_

Realising that Blake was feeling down, Weiss speaks up. "I didn't understand your circumstances, and I doubt I would have gone through with it."

 **Ruby crosses her arms in irritation. "Ugh, Weiss..."**

 **"It was just an idea!" Weiss responds.**

 **"Yeah, a bad one." Ruby says, walking down the sidewalk.**

 **Yang follows behind Ruby. "Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."**

 **Weiss follows behind Yang. "I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right!"**

 _'I never thought there would come the day where I would hate the sound of my own voice.'_ Weiss thinks. _'What's worse is that so far the entire volume has mostly been about how I've been a bad friend._ ' She judges herself very hardly after seeing the videos.

 **Penny follows behind Weiss. "And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today!"**

"What!?" Jaune, Blake and Nora yell. The sudden appearance of Penny catching them of guard.

Yang laughs. "I was waiting for this! You should have seen the look on your faces."

"You could have given us some warning." Jaune complains.

"And where's the fun in that." Yang responds.

 **"Aaaah!" Ruby yells in surprise as she and her teammates turn to see the orange haired girl. "Penny! Where did you come from!?"**

 **"Hey guys! What are you up to?" Penny cheerfully ignores the question.**

 **"Uhh..." Ruby takes some time to understand the situation.**

 **"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang explains in Ruby's stead.**

 **"Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl!" Penny responds.**

"She knew!?" Blake asks in shock.

"Penny is very good at noticing things." Ruby mentions. ' _I think it's because of the way she sorts information.'_

 **Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all stare at Penny for a bit.**

 **"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asks.**

 **"Uhh, the cat ears?" Penny points to her head.**

" **What cat ears? She wears a... booooww" Yang eventually trails of in realisation.**

 **The new awareness leaves them in silence as a tumbleweed blows through in the wind.**

"Tumbleweed?" Ren raises an eyebrow at this.

"I don't remember that being there." Weiss mentions.

"Me neither, guess it's just for effect." Yang says.

 **"She does like tuna a lot..." Ruby whispers to Yang.**

 _'Perhaps everyone else just doesn't like tuna enough.'_ Blake thinks. Despite this she knows that it's mainly just a feature of being a cat Faunus.

 **"So, where is she?" Penny asks.**

 **"We don't know. She's been missing since Friday." Ruby replies.**

 **Penny gasps "That's terrible!" she approaches an uncomfortable Ruby, holding her in place to show her seriousness. "Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate!"**

"She's rather…" Pyrrha looks for the right word. "…earnest."

"I told you. She takes friendships very seriously." Ruby responds.

 **Ruby does her best to continue smiling. "Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?"**

 **She looks over Penny to direct her question at Yang and Weiss, who's blinking outlines are all that's left of their sudden departure from the company of the strange girl. A tumbleweed blows past them again in the quiet.**

"Why did you leave. She's not that bad." Ruby complains.

"She's just kinda…" Yang responds, trailing of.

"Unusual." Weiss finishes. "Penny is very unusual, and we didn't want to have to deal with it."

"That doesn't mean you can abandon a teammate." Ruby mumbles.

 **"It sure is windy today!" Penny comments.**

"Did she actually say that?" Ren asks.

"Yep." Ruby answers. "But it didn't have anything to do with tumbleweed. It was just kinda windy."

 **The scene changes to Sun and Blake, who are seen walking down a different alley.**

 **"So, what's the plan now?" Sun asks, with his hands behind his head.**

 **Blake contemplates this for a moment. "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."**

 _'Why did they join up with Torchwick anyway.'_ Blake wonders. _'We never actually got an answer to that. Hopefully this will answer it at some point.'_

 **Sun widens his eyes. "What if they did?" He lowers his arms and paces in front of Blake as he continues his theory. "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?"**

"While I admit the plan has some merit. I would hardly call such an outcome conclusive." Weiss says. "They could have been somewhere else at the time."

"I was desperate for an answer, so I accepted it blindly anyway." Blake says. "And even then, I thought there was a chance of catching someone else and revealing them to be the true culprit."

"That didn't work out." Yang mutters quietly.

 **"The only thing is, I've no idea where that would be." Blake replies.**

 **"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas." Sun tells her.**

 _'Stowing away and eavesdropping. My opinion of him is hardly improving.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Though I will admit he's at least not ever tried to hurt anyone with his actions.'_

 **"How huge?" Blake asks.**

 **"Huge." Sun emphasises by making arm motions. "Big Schnee Company freighter."**

 _'Not as if there are many other Dust companies around nowadays.'_ Weiss sadly remembers all the things her father has done to get ahead in the business.

 **"You're sure?" Blake asks, now very invested in the idea.**

 **Scene changes to Yang and Weiss coming out of a shop. Yang waves to the person inside "Thanks anyways!" She sighs "This is hopeless." Then turns to Weiss. "You really don't care if we find her, do you?"**

 **"Don't be stupid; of course I do." Weiss responds. "I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." She walks forward, talking from over her shoulder "The innocent never run, Yang!"**

"I suppose that's not entirely true." Weiss admits. "The may run when others don't think there innocent."

"What were you afraid of her saying?" Jaune asks.

Weiss sighs. "I was afraid she was still a White Fang member that wanted to sabotage my father's business through me." _'I'm not sure how I would take that kind of betrayal.'_

"I swear I've never had such intentions." Blake says. _'The thought never even occurred to me.'_

Weiss smiles. "I know." _'My plan is to become a huntress and bring back the days of my grandfather.'_

 **Yang looks down in thought.**

 **Scene change to Ruby and Penny**

" **So, Blake is your friend?" Penny asks.**

 **Ruby sighs as they make their way down the sidewalk. "Yes, Penny."**

 **"But you're mad at her?" Penny questions.**

 **"Yes." Ruby then quickly elaborates. "Well, I'm not. Weiss is."**

 _'Mad isn't exactly the right word.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **"Is she friends with Blake?" Penny asks**

 **"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now..." Ruby answers.**

 **"But why?" Penny tries to understand this.**

 **Ruby sighs again. "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we thought she was..."**

 **Penny gasps. "Is she a man?"**

Several of the more outgoing people laugh at this. Blake meanwhile just shrinks in embarrassment. "I thought you said she was very observant."

"She is." Ruby defends her friend. "But she's also quite naïve and ignorant."

 _'You have to be extremely ignorant to come to a conclusion like that.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

 **"No! No, Penny." Ruby shakes her hands in front of herself. "She's..." Ruby stops and sighs, looking at Penny as she talks now. "I don't know what she is. She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."**

 **"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things." Penny says.**

 **Ruby turns her gaze downward sadly. "Me too..." They then continue walking.**

"I'm sorry for not talking with you more." Blake says. "I would just rather have Beacon be a fresh start for me. Without having to deal with the things I've done in the past."

"I understand." Ruby responds. "I never meant to put pressure on you or anything."

 _'Of course you don't.'_ Blake thinks. _'You're always looking out for the team.'_

 **Scene change to the docking bay.**

 **Amidst the chirping of crickets and darkness of night, Blake lays flat on her stomach on the rooftop overlooking the shipment of Schnee Dust containers.**

 **"Did I miss anything?" Sun asks, sitting down next to Blake.**

 **"Not really." Blake replies "They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."**

 **"Cool." Sun holds out one of several green apples he's carrying "I stole you some food!"**

"He's also a thief!" Weiss yells. "That's much more serious that simply stowing away."

"Sun grew up in Vacuo." Blake explains. "It's not exactly well known for law abiding citizens."

 _'Does Vacuo even have laws outside of Shade academy.'_ Ruby wonders.

"That's still no excuse." Weiss responds. "Unlike stowing away, stealing has a real negative impact on the victims."

"I'm not defending his action." Blake says. "I just wanted to make sure you understand."

 **Blake gives Sun a questioning look. "Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?"**

 **"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Sun defensively counters.**

 _'Is that what peoples view of the White Fang is now.'_ Blake wonders. _'A cult. I suppose in a way it has becoming more and more like one over time.'_

 **Blake delivers an angry glare at him.**

 **"Okay, too soon!" Sun apologises.**

 **Just as he says this, the winds blows all around them, and they look up to see a Bullhead's searchlights flashing around for a landing spot, descending in the middle of the cargo containers and extending a ramp for a black hooded individual with a metallic fanged mask to come out of.**

 **"Oh no..." Blake says dejectedly.**

 _'How did it come to this. Are other parts of the White Fang doing things like this or is it just the Vale branch.'_ Blake never contacted any of the other groups after leaving. In a way she was just too afraid of the answer she may receive if she did try to contact Sienna.

 **"Is that them?" Sun asks for confirmation.**

" **Yes... It's them." Blake replies as the screen shows the bloody wolf on the back of one man's outfit.**

 **"All right, grab the tow cables!" One White Fang Soldier instructs the other members coming from the aircraft, motioning with his rifle.**

 **"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun says to Blake.**

 _'It just didn't make any sense.'_ Blake thinks. _'It still doesn't.'_

 **Blake stares sadly at the scene. "No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right." she closes her eyes in despair, only to open them suddenly when she hears a new voice.**

 **"Hey! What's the holdup!?" Torchwick's voice is heard as the man himself comes down the Bullhead ramp. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"**

"Animals!?" Blake gets up in frustration. "He doesn't even have the decency to treat them fairly when he's working with them!"

"Blake, calm down." Yang tries to pull her down to her seat.

"But how could they follow a creep like that!?" Blake yells. "He doesn't even hide his dislike, but they still choose to work with him!"

"I don't know. But yelling about it here isn't going to change anything." Yang says.

Blake finally relents to this, choosing to sit down. But even so, her expression isn't exactly the picture of happiness.

 **"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Blake stands up and unsheathes the katana of Gambol Shroud.**

 **"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sun yells, alarmed as Blake walks off the edge of the roof.**

 _'At this point I honestly thought they might just be imposters.'_ Blake thinks. _'People hoping to lay the blame on the most obvious culprit.'_

 **Blake falls to the ground in a crouch, then continues on to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see Torchwick berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.**

 **"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" Torchwick says. As he's looking around, Blake suddenly appears behind him with her blade at his throat. "What the- Oh, for f-" he rolls his eyes when he's cut off by Blake mid-swear.**

 **"Nobody move!" Blake yells to the White Fang members.**

 _'This is where it all goes wrong.'_ Blake thinks.

 **The White Fang soldiers ready their guns and equip their swords in response.**

 **"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." Torchwick calmly says, as if he didn't have a dangerous weapon at his throat.**

"How can he be so calm?" Jaune thinks. "He has a freaking sword to his throat."

"While I hate to admit it. He's a professional," Yang explains. "He knows how to react in order to get the best response. If he had freaked out then the White Fang would hesitate to follow him."

 **As the White Fang closes in on her, Blake uses her free hand to loosen her bow and remove it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears are shown to the world.**

 **"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" Blake asks in a demanding tone.**

 **The White Fang members lower their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do.**

 _'Were they hesitating?'_ Blake wonders. _'Or maybe they were just wondering what to do about a stupid little girl who wants to interfere with their robbery.'_

 **Suddenly Torchwick laughs. "Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?"**

 **"What are you talking about?" Blake demands an answer.**

 **"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" Torchwick explains.**

"But what's the point!?" Blake yells. "What do they have to gain? What were they even planning?"

"I think they just devolved to the point of pure terrorism." Yang says. "Trying to create fear of Faunus so they could threaten people to treat them better."

"That still doesn't explain the stolen Dust." Weiss points out.

"Maybe they needed it for the underground train bombs." Ruby proposes.

"That still wouldn't account for all of it." Weiss points out. "According to my sources the White Fang should still be in possession of a large amount of Dust, and no one has been buying large quantities from unknown sources."

"Perhaps they still have some bombs to be used for something else." Pyrrha proposes. "Or they could have it in storage for some other purpose."

"But why?" Blake asks. "The White Fang haven't done anything recently. What else could they need it for?"

"I don't know. I was just giving a suggestion." Pyrrha says.

 **"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation." Blake turns her blade slightly, pressing it against Torchwick's throat.**

 **Suddenly, the air is filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.**

 **Torchwick looks up "I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation..."**

 **Two more Bullheads appear, hovering above the heist.**

"How did they even acquire so many Bullheads?" Jaune asks.

"There are black market dealers willing to sell them for an increased price." Blake reveals. "I just never though the White Fang would want to buy them. They never seemed worth the price given how little use they would have been given their previous methods."

 **As Blake watches in horror, Torchwick smiles and manages to fire his cane at Blake's feet, resulting in a large explosion.**

"Ouch." Jaune winces at this. "Did that hurt?"

"I managed to dodge it at the last moment." Blake says. "And my Aura protected me from the residue."

 **Meanwhile Penny and Ruby turn around upon hearing the noise, seeing the smoke rise from the docking bay just a few buildings away.**

 **"Oh, no..." Ruby sighs, she has a feeling this isn't a common accident.**

"I was actually really lucky to be near the docks at the time." Ruby says. "Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed."

"Yeah." Yang sighs. "Unfortunately me and Weiss were too far away to get there in time once we got your message."

"Who are you telling this to?" Ren questions.

"I just thought you would like to know some of the extra details." Yang says.

"Thanks Yang. We appreciate it." Jaune speaks on behalf of his team.

 **At the docking bay, Blake is dazed but relatively unhurt as she gets up from the ground. She quickly rolls and runs out of the way of Torchwick 's continued attacks, using her semblance to avoid some close calls as she retreats behind more containers.**

 **Torchwick approaches slowly. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." His taunt is interrupted when a banana peel lands on his head, causing him to look up and growl at the assailant.**

 **Sun leaps from on top a container and drops down on the criminal's face feet-first, stunning Torchwick for a moment as Sun flips to the side, readying himself to fight. "Leave her alone!"**

"Not exactly a knight in shining armour but he'd definitely acting like one." Nora comments, causing Blake to sigh and groan at the same time.

 **The Bullheads flying above them open to let more White Fang members descend on the scene, standing by Torchwick as he gets up and surrounding Sun.**

 **"You're not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you, kid?" The notorious criminal says.**

 **With that said, the White Fang charge at the monkey Faunus, but he manages to dodge slashes and get some of the soldiers with his fists and kicks until he rolls out of the way, pulling out a collapsible red staff. He quickly uses this to beat down on each opponent that nears him, falling each one in a single flaming blow when he twirls, even creating a scorching shockwave to beat the last of them.**

"Sun's weapon is so cool." Ruby squeals.

""We know!"" the rest of team RWBY speak at the same time. Ruby laughs nervously at this.

"What was that?" Jaune questions.

"You already know how Ruby has a tendency to gush over new weapons." Yang says. "Well she has a particular interest in ones that can do two things at once. Like Sun's staff for example."

 **Blake peers around the corner of the container to watch Sun jump around and beat more White Fang soldiers, causing one to fly over Torchwick 's head. The crime boss growls in annoyance and aims his cane at Sun, firing a shot that he defends himself from just when Blake leaps into the action.**

 **"He's mine!" Blake yells.**

 **Blake goes in close and becomes a blur of afterimages as she slashes both blades at Torchwick, who backs away and deflects each would-be blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continues to dash, hop over, and slide around Torchwick to try and find a weak spot, but her enemy, while barely deflecting the attacks, lands a few hits on Blake until one final beating with his cane causes her to go down.**

 _'Say what you want about Torchwick, but certainly has skills as a fighter.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'He barely moved a step but was still able to block all of Blake's attacks.'_

 **Just as Torchwick deals with one opponent, Sun appears right behind her and disconnects his staff in two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swings each gun at Torchwick while firing everything he as at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Torchwick manages to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allows Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.**

"This is it." Ruby gets excited. "The Gunchucks!"

 _'I suppose that does have a nice ring to it.'_ Jaune thinks, remembering Crocea Mors. _'I can only use a simple weapon. I really doubt I'd be able to handle anything like that.'_

 **On his back, Torchwick notices a container hanging by a crane right above the two Hunters-in-training, and gets up to fire his cane at its supports. Blake leaps behind it, but Sun barely misses when he jumps forward, ending up right below the nozzle of Torchwick's cane. Just as he's about to fire, his and Sun's attention is drawn to a familiar voice.**

 **"Hey!" Ruby's voice is heard in the distance.**

 **Ruby appears on the rooftop overlooking them, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action.**

"Thanks for the save." Blake says to Ruby.

"I'm just glad I made it in time." Ruby responds. "And that I chose to bring Crescent Rose with me."

 **Torchwick quickly loses interest in Sun, waving at the cloaked girl. "Well, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?"**

"Why does he treat me like a kid when I already beat him once before." Ruby complains.

"It's his way of showing dominance." Yang explains. "Criminal leaders like him can't ever show weakness so they have to act like they're always in control."

 **"Ruby, are these people your friends?" Penny asks as she walks into the scene from behind Ruby**

 **"Penny, get back!" Ruby instructs. But while her attention is diverted, Torchwick snarls and fires his cane at her, launching the young Huntress-in-training back from the explosion's force and sending her scythe flying away. "AAAAAH!"**

 **Torchwick gives off a professional-level evil laugh at his attack on the young girl.**

"He has an evil laugh?" Weiss says. "Can he be a more stereotypical villain?"

"Don't look at me." Yang says. "I don't know why he would do that. He probably just insane."

 **Penny turns her head toward the criminal and gives her first glare, walking forward while Ruby tries to get back up.**

 **"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby raises her hand in a futile attempt to stop her.**

 **"Don't worry, Ruby." Penny says, as the perspective zooms into her eyes. "I'm combat ready!"**

"Didn't she say that before?" Jaune asks.

"It's sorta like a catchphrase for her." Ruby answers. _'Wait a minute, do I have a catchphrase?'_

 **Her backpack mechanically opens up, and from its dark depths comes a single sword that extends and multiples into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sends three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeds to fling the swords at one enemy, impale another to a wall, create a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she throws to knock multiple White Fang members off their feet.**

Weiss pays particular attention to this fight, taking mental notes of Penny's fighting style. Blake notices this and comments. "Preparing for the tournament Weiss?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she makes it to the singles, so yes I am." Weiss declares with no shame.

"Come on Weiss." Ruby hugs her partner with one arm. "We're watching an awesome fight that actually happened and you're worried about the tournament."

"I simply think it's for the best that we prepare." Weiss replies. _'If I'm going to make a name for myself outside of my fathers influence then being on the winning team for the Vytal Festival is a good way to start. The biggest obstacle however, is her.'_ Weiss looks over to Pyrrha before quickly looking back to the screen.

 **"Whoa!" Sun observes the spectacle in amazement. He then runs off to safety.**

 **Three Bullheads come from the skies and open fire on the battle, but Penny merely forms a shield from her rotating blades and launches two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pull their wielder back with their strings, that can now be more clearly seen. When her swords form a circle in front of her, she commands them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light in the centre. With a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when they fire at the transports and slice each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as Bullheads fall in pieces behind her.**

 _'Laser beams, that could be a problem.'_ Weiss thinks. _'But how does she control the blades through the wires so well? While I understand the technology to some extent, how can she control them so easily? The calculations required would be immense, and I doubt instincts through training would be enough to aid her in such a wide variety of situations.'_

 **Stunned, Ruby turns back to Penny, who latches her swords to the remaining Bullhead holding a crate of Dust and pulls back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them.**

 **"Whoa..." Ruby watches in awe. "How is she doing that?"**

"It was the wires obviously." Weiss says.

"Sorry, but I couldn't see them from so far away." Ruby says. "I thought is seemed like Pyrrha's polarity but that's impossible."

 **Seeing the Bullhead's flight fall under Penny's control, Torchwick grimaces and turns to run towards the last transport, that remains landed near him.**

 **Penny, after her large green pupils dilate for a second, pulls with all her might on the strings, and the aircraft crashes into a stack of crates, causing an explosion as a result.**

"That must have been expensive." Nora comments.

"Actually we saved money." Ruby says. "Turns out the amount of Dust that exploded is less than the amount recovered from the Bullhead."

"And how do you know that?" Yang questions. It's very unlike Ruby to follow up on such things.

"She decided to ask me some time later." Weiss reveals.

 **Torchwick watches all this from the safety of his escape. "These kids just keep getting weirder..." With his observation made, he uses his cane to close the doors, and the jet lifts off, flying away from the lost battle.**

"We're not weird, are we?" Nora asks.

"In the eyes of most adults we are unusually strong." Blake points out.

"Not to mention the fact that an adorable scythe wielding girl and another girl that can shoot lasers isn't exactly the picture of normality." Yang points out.

"Crescent rose is amazing, and I dare anyone to say otherwise to my face." Ruby responds.

 **Later, a handful of police cars are at the docks, where Ruby, Blake, Sun, and Penny are sitting on boxes in silence. That is, until Weiss and Yang appear on the scene.**

 _'I believe this is it.'_ Weiss thinks. _'From here on I won't have to see myself acting too smug or overly condescending.'_

 **Ruby speaks quickly to explain the situation. "Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..." Weiss ignores her and squares off with Blake.**

Blake raises an eyebrow. "You think they're cute?"

Ruby laughs nervously. "I mean… sorta. It was the heat of the moment and I wasn't thinking about it."

Blake smirks at this. "Don't worry. There are plenty of people who find the animal features cute or cool without being condescending."

 **Blake calmly looking the heiress down. "Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"**

 **"Stop!" Weiss interrupts. "Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?" she pauses.**

 **"Twelve hours." Weiss continues. "That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."**

"Didn't you say it was two days?" Jaune asks.

"We didn't search on the first day because we wanted to give her an opportunity to return on her own." Yang explains.

"You could have come to us for help." Pyrrha says. "We would have been happy to assist in the search."

"We also agreed that we didn't want to reveal Blakes secret without her permission." Ruby says. "And we couldn't exactly ask for help without giving an explanation."

 _'Thanks.'_ Blake thinks. _'I'm glad to know you respect my privacy.'_

 **Yang, Sun, and Ruby look on, worried.**

 **"…I don't care."**

 **"You don't care?" Blake asks, surprised.**

 **"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?" Weiss questions.**

"As long as I know the time we spent wasn't a lie. Then it's fine." Present Weiss adds.

 **Blake tries to explain "No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"**

 **"Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah!" Weiss silences her "I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." she looks at Sun as she catches herself. "Someone else."**

 _'There it is.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I finally decide to be considerate about the way I speak.'_

 **Blake looks to see Ruby and Yang grinning at her, she wipes a tear from her eye, nodding. "Of course."**

 **Weiss smiles and nods. The moment is serious for a second more until Ruby screams "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" waving her arms wildly.**

 **As the five gather with each other, Weiss points accusingly at Sun. "I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you!" Sun laughs nervously at this.**

 _'He's at least someone who sticks out for friends.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **"Hey, wait a minute..." Ruby looks around. "Where's Penny?"**

 **From the darkened back seat of a limo, Penny watches the group of friends reuniting with each other.**

 **The Drivers voice is heard from off-screen. "You should know better than to go running around in a strange city."**

"I'm guessing Penny's family is very overprotective?" Yang asks.

"You could say that." Ruby answers vaguely.

"But wait." Weiss interferes. "Why would they let her compete if they're over protective? Why would they even let her wield weapons?"

Ruby groans uncomfortably. "It's complicated! She made me promise not to tell anyone!"

"In other words she's hiding something." Weiss deduces.

"Well… erm… yeah but." Ruby stutters on her words. "She wasn't even meant to tell me! She was breaking some very important rules by doing so. And I swear that it's nothing bad!"

"You're sure?" Blake asks. "You're sure it's not anything… abusive."

"No!" Ruby quickly answers. "It's nothing like that. It's more of a…" She struggles to find a way to answer without revealing anything. "I can't explain but it really isn't a bad thing."

"If you really think so then I trust your judgment." Yang speaks up, then looks to her other teammates who quickly nod in response.

 **Penny lowers her head, sadly. "I know, sir."**

 **The limo drives of from the scene. "Penny, your time will come..." The driver says.**

 _'What does that mean?'_ Ruby wonders. _'Penny said before that it's her job to save the world. Is it possible that wasn't an exaggeration? Was she made for a specific purpose? What could possibly be such a large threat to the peace?'_ As these thoughts race through Ruby's head she desperately wants to share them. But unfortunately, she knows she can't without revealing Penny's secret. _'I'm not sure it it's important yet. Better to wait it out. Perhaps the video's will reveal it, that way I don't have to break my promise.'_

 **Meanwhile, Ozpin is seen holding a Scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Ruby at the docks. He closes the video and opens up a message from Qrow.**

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yells in excitement and shock, now forgetting her previous thoughts. "Ozpin knows uncle Qrow?"

Yang raises her arms in confusion. "I didn't know this!"

"Your uncle?" Jaune questions. "The one who teaches at Signal?"

"Not anymore." Yang explains. "He quit almost immediately after Ruby was accepted into Beacon. Been going on hunter missions ever since."

"Not to mention the fact that he was often away on missions before that." Ruby points out.

"What kind of mission does he go on?" Weiss asks, an idea occurring to her.

"Only the most awesome ones!" Ruby yells excitedly.

Yang clarifies. "He's usually very vague about it. But I'm pretty sure it's mostly hunting Grimm."

"Is it possible he's been working for Ozpin?" Weiss shares her idea. "It would explain the messaging, and how Ozpin talked about knowing a 'dusty old crow' in the first video."

"He never said anything like that to us!" Ruby says.

"I doubt he would." Yang mutters, just loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"We should keep watching so that we can get a clearer picture. We don't even know what the message is." Ren points out, readying himself to take notes.

 **When the message is shown, the team name and other info is left blank and his only message is: "QUEEN HAS PAWNS."**

 **"Hmmm..." Ozpin ponders over this new info.**

"Queen has pawns?" Nora repeats the message.

"What could that mean?" Pyrrha asks for any ideas.

"It's probably a code." Blake answers. "A message meant for Ozpin such that only he will fully understand it." _'I remember delivering a few messages like that while in the White Fang. Still don't fully understand what the mean.'_

"So Qrow has been working for Ozpin." Weiss concludes. "Why else would they have codewords?"

"But what has he been doing?" Ruby asks. "And why has he been keeping it from us?"

"Perhaps he wants to keep you out of it." Pyrrha suggests. "Or he could be sworn to secrecy."

"More importantly. What does 'Queen has pawns' mean." Ren wonders, finishing his notes.

"I would assume it means a bad woman now has allies." Weiss says. "Perhaps the CCT woman. She could be working with Torchwick and the White Fang."

"That makes sense." Blake agrees. "But then why wouldn't Qrow be in Vale? That's where she was spotted."

"Don't expect me to know everything." Weiss replies. "It was just an idea."

"I would consider it quite likely." Ren points out. "If these videos are about the build up to a single terrible event, then it makes sense that our enemies would all be connected."

 **The scenes cuts to a view of Beacon Academy bathed in the light of the nearly-full moon as the background fades to black.**

 ** _Wings_** **starts playing.**

"So that's the volume I guess." Jaune says.

"How many more can expect until we get to the future?" Pyrrha asks.

"I would have to say between one and three." Weiss says. "It depends on what is considered important enough to be included. Three being at a stretch."

"But why are they divided like this?" Blake wonders. "I'm guessing we get to jump into the next one so there should be a reason."

"It could be part of the imitation." Jaune points out. "The entire thing is structured like a show, so it's probably something to do with that."

Once Jaune is done talking, Pyrrha looks over to Ren. "What have you been writing down?" she asks.

"Questions about what Qrow and Ozpin are doing and our theories about who this queen is." Ren answers.

As everyone is talking about different things, Blake notices some things in the lyrics.

 ** _"Patience,"_**

 ** _"Is hard to find."_**

 ** _"Shadows,"_**

 ** _"Seem to fill your life."_**

 _'That probably refers to the theme from the trailer.'_ Blake thinks. _'If I remember correctly that was about emerging from shadows.'_

 ** _"Dry your eyes now, baby;"_**

 ** _"Broken wings won't hold you down."_**

 ** _"You'll take flight soon, baby."_**

 ** _"You'll be lifted up,"_**

 ** _"And you'll be there"_**

 _'That's sorta beautiful.'_ Blake thinks. _'I think it's about how anyone can become something great. And how we shouldn't let personal features hold us back. Though I might just be projecting.'_

 **After the song finishes, the screen fades back in to show Torchwick walking into a large warehouse with a shadowy interior.**

"Wait! What!?" Yang yells in surprise. "I thought it was over."

"It was, it ended just like it did before." Weiss recalls. "Is this related to it being the final chapter?"

"It could be a post credits scene." Jaune suggests. "Though I suppose there aren't any credits in this."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asks.

"Some movies try to foreshadow later instalments in a special scene after the credits." Jaune explains. "It's mostly a way to make people stay for the credits but in this case, I guess it's a way to add an extra scene separately."

 **Torchwick goes over to a table and places down a case of unknown contents, sighing in tiredness.**

 **"How very disappointing, Torchwick." A female voice is heard from behind the criminal.**

"Wait, do I know that voice?" Ruby mentions. "I think I've heard it before somewhere."

"Are you sure?" Weiss is startled by this. "There's a good chance this is the CCT woman so did you hear her from then?"

"No, that's not it." Ruby responds. "She didn't say anything."

 **"Whoa!" Torchwick turns around suddenly when he hears the voice and their noisy entrance. "Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..."**

 **The view pans over to show three figures standing before Torchwick. Yellow eyes and flowing dark hair, is all that can be seen from the front person, and the others are completely obscured. "We were expecting... more from you." The front person says, it's the same voice as before.**

"So she's the one in charge." Blake deduces. "She must be the one who planned the breach."

 **Torchwick laughs a little before getting serious. "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang."**

"She's also the one who did that." Pyrrha says. "In other words, the White Fang were only working as lackeys for whatever plan they have."

"But they would never work with a human if they didn't think it would benefit their cause." Blake chimes in. "And even then, the bulk of them would only work under another Faunus." _'I hope I'm not right about who's leading them.'_

 **The other person chuckles darkly. "And you will continue to do so." The perspective pans behind her, revealing her to be wearing a red Dress.**

"That's definitely the woman from the first chapter." Ren tells them. "Her dress is exactly the same."

"So we finally get more information on our mystery woman." Weiss says. "I've been looking forward to this."

 **The Woman summons a fireball in her hand and steps out of the darkness.**

'What is that?' Weiss wonders. 'It appears to be a Dust ignition but there isn't any Dust being used.'

 **Now with a clear view, the woman is revealed to be Cinder Fall.**

"WHAT!" Multiple voices shout at the same time.

"Cinder!" Ruby recalls her name.

"She's the one behind all this!" Yang follows up.

"I thought she was from Haven." Pyrrha says. "How could she have been in Vale at this time?"

"Were her transcripts fake." Blake suggests. "It's possible that she's only pretending to be from Haven."

 **"We have big plans for you, Roman." Cinder's says, as companions step out of the dark, revealing them to be Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. "All we ask is... a little cooperation."**

"Emerald and Mercury too!?" Ruby yells.

"What is even going on at this point?" Nora is confused by these developments.

 **The camera holds on Cinder evil little smile before cutting to black.**

"I thought I'd seen her from somewhere!" Ruby suddenly recalls. "The first time I met Cinder I thought I'd seen her somewhere before. It must have been during the Dust robbery I stopped."

"You recognised her!" Weiss is outraged by this.

"It was just a feeling!" Ruby defends herself. "And it's not as if you were able to put it together!"

"I had never seen her before then!" Weiss yells. "You were the only one who saw her both times!"

"Calm down Weiss, this isn't helping." Yang says.

In response to this Weiss just rubs her head and tries to understand.

Ruby meanwhile isn't doing much better. _'And here I was trying to become friends with Emerald. I guess that was all just a trick.'_ She clenches her fist at the thought.

 **Congratulations on completing Volume 1**

"It's back." Blake points to the screen.

"So our captor has final decided to address us again." Weiss comments.

"I guess this means it has something to tell us then." Yang says.

 **For getting this far, I am granting you a reward**

"A reward? Do we get to choose what it is?" Nora asks.

Suddenly a flash of white light appears behind them revealing another door to the side of the original one.

"A new room?" Pyrrha questions.

"I wonder what's inside." Jaune says as he gets up and heads towards the new door.

"Wait there's more." Blake says before Jaune can reach the handle.

 **The next Volume will become available once all participants are adequately caught up with the videos**

"But we're already caught up." Weiss mentions. "In fact we were forced so that we couldn't watch anything on our own."

 **During the next volume there will be bonus videos that grant a deeper understanding of Remnant and the aspects of it that other realities do not possess, I suggest you watch these as soon as you are able**

"Other realities!" Jaune exclaims.

"What does that even mean?" Nora questions. "How can there be more than one."

"And what does this mean for us?" Weiss questions.

 **Do not worry as the other realities will not affect you in any way outside of me giving you this viewing**

"Did it just respond to me?" Weiss questions.

"I think so." Yang answers. She then turns to the screen "Hey, can you answer our questions."

 **This concludes the pre-recorded messages**

"Like hell you're pre-recorded." Yang shouts at the screen.

 **But I am pre-recorded**

"I think it's just joking at this point." Blake points out.

"Hey, whoever you are. Please explain to us what is happening." Ruby begs the screen.

In response the screen turns back to the title. Now the options are: Trailers, Volume 1, Volume 2 (but this is greyed out) and Soundtrack.

"I don't think it wants to answer us?" Jaune says, grabbing the handle to the new room. "Might as well see our reward." He says as he carefully opens the door, other hand ready to draw Crocea Mors.

As he opens the door he finds a bedroom, very similar to the ones that they have in Beacon, except it is extremely bare, having no distinguishable features.

The most surprising thing however is that in the middle of the room, faced away from them, is the monkey Faunus that they all know.

"Sun!" Blake says in surprise, causing Sun to turn around to face them.

"Okay, very funny. Now where did you put all of my stuff?" Sun asks them all.

* * *

Sun was done with the lecture that he had somehow managed to keep up with. Deciding to return to his room for a bit, he opened the door to find that it was completely bare. Not a single thing in sight. It looked just like it did when he first came to Beacon.

"Now this is weird." Sun says to himself, looking around for any of his things.

As he's looking he doesn't notice that the door behind him slowly closes. He continues his search but finds no trace of his things. Even the dent on the wall he accidently made while practicing his nunchucks is gone.

 _'This is so weird.'_ Sun thinks, standing in the centre of his room. Suddenly though he hears a sound from behind him.

"Sun!" He recognises this as Blake's voice and turns to face it.

 _'Wow, I guess even JNPR is in on it.'_ He thinks. "Okay, very funny. Now where did you put all of my stuff?"

The only reply he gets is silence. However after some time he notices that the room they are all in isn't the corridor he remembers walking down.

"Okay hold on. What kind of prank is this." Sun asks.

Ignoring Sun, Ruby says something. "Why is Sun here, Is he the reward?"

"I suppose he must be." Weiss answers.

"Guys, seriously. What's going on?" Sun asks as he enters the viewing room.

Weiss decides to make this quick by handing him the note from the start that she had kept hold of.

Sun reads this, taking long pauses to understand it. "This can't be real right?" he asks.

"It's real." Blake responds. "Everything it says is true. Or at least it was, but now there are nine of us."

"What are you talking about?" Sun asks, seemingly confused by something.

"The note said there are eight of us, but now there are nine." Pyrrha explains.

Sun looks down to the note. After a brief glance he looks back up. "No, it says nine."

"Give me that." Weiss snatches the note out of Sun's hands. Then reads it out loud.

 _Welcome, I apologise for kidnapping you however you should find this experience beneficial to all of you. I have prepared several videos for the nine of you to watch showing events that take place in the past and future. Use this knowledge to prevent catastrophe in the new future you create. You won't be able to leave until you've watched everything._

 _P.S The doors on the left and right lead to exact replicas of the original eight's rooms, another bedroom is prepared for any late entries. Behind the other door you will find a hallway that has everything you need to continue your daily lives. Also, time doesn't pass here so you won't miss any important events you need to attend._

These new details shock everyone as they try to understand how this happened. But before they can try to solve this mystery, someone decides to ask a very important question.

"What day was it when you entered that room." Weiss asks Sun as she points to the spare bedroom.

"Err… Friday." Sun answers, confused by this question.

This comes as quite a shock to the others. "You're sure?" Yang asks.

"Of course I'm sure, I just got out of one of Oobleck's lectures." Sun answers. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we first came here on a friday afternoon, and it has been a little over twenty-four hours since then." Weiss explains. _'It's real! Time really doesn't pass in here.'_

"So the note was right." Sun says. "And you've really seen the future?"

"Not yet." Blake answers. "So far we've only seen the first set of videos, and it's all been things from the past."

"Can I see them." Sun asks. Curious as to what this is about.

"I demand that you do." Weiss says in a light tone. "We can't leave until all the videos are finished. And we can't continue until you are caught up. But before that you need to tell us something."

"What?" Sun asks.

"What do you know about Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black and their other teammate?" Weiss is now demanding an answer.

"Not much." Sun admits. "I can't even remember seeing them at Haven before. Which is weird considering I knew all of the strongest teams. I do know that the other one is called Neo though. I overheard Cinder referring to her by that name at one point."

"Did you hear anything else." Weiss asks.

"Not really, she just told her to get something. Not sure what though." Sun answers. "Why the sudden interest."

Everyone looks uncomfortably at each other, not wanting to be the one to reveal it.

"Cinder is the one who snuck into the CCT." Ren is the one to speak first. "She's also the one who Torchwick was working under and the reason the White Fang have been stealing Dust."

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Ozpin received message from Qrow

Qrow often in missions

Qrow works for Ozpin? – very likely

Message: QUEEN HAS PAWNS – probably code

Qrow sworn to secrecy? Or possibly protecting nieces

Bad woman has allies – CCT woman has Torchwick and/or White Fang

Everything connected? – Who is Penny? What's the secret?

Structured like a show

Torchwick entering Warehouse – must make a sketch later

Post credits – extra scene at end of Volumes

New woman – Ruby recognises Voice – Possibly CCT woman

New woman is in charge of Torchwick – Suggested working with white Fang

Only small section of White Fang OR possible Faunus leader who follows new woman

New woman is the one from Dust robbery – Matching dress

New woman can summon fireball

New woman is CINDER FALL – Very likely also CCT woman

Fake transcript? Cinder possibly not from Haven

Emerald and Mercury also part of it – What is it?

Reward for completing Volume – new door

Must all be caught up to continue – We already are – new arrival changes this

Bonus videos about Remnant – Only includes things other realities lack (there are other realities)

Other realities 'apparently' don't matter

Pre-recorded messages are not Pre-recorded

Sun is now here – He is the reward?

Note has changed, now says nine of us and is more up to date

Time doesn't pass – Sun has confirmed

Weiss asks about Cinder – probably not from Haven

Cinders fourth teammate is Neo

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Interesting thing I noticed while writing this. The fight scenes are actually quicker to write since the transcripts barely need to be edited.**

 **I did struggle with the big Cinder reveal so if you have any suggestions for improvement then please tell me.**

 **While writing this I suddenly decided that I would explain the Dust robberies by having them be meant for the bombs in the underground train and the other bombs that were meant for destroying Haven. (they also assumedly had more in storage to use against the other academies)**

 **Since I just finished a Volume I feel like we need an in-between chapter. This will consist of Sun's reactions to the important events in the videos (the bits that he will have an interesting response to, please tell me what you want to see his reaction to), various interactions between the teams, planning on how to deal with Cinder (they will underestimate the true extent of the her plans), and if there is enough demand then I will have them all react to the soundtrack.**

 **Also, a few simple questions. What filters do you usually use to find Fanfics? What do you use to measure the success of a Fanfic? Does the idea of thought's being in** _'italic'_ **like this seem like a good idea to you? (I've been worried that it's hard to tell what the '' are meant for when using words like 'I'm')**

 **This fic may (or may not) go on a temporary hiatus. This will end once I have rewatched all of Volume 2, Read through my entire Fic again, and have received enough useful reviews about what to add in the intermission chapter. If I feel like there isn't enough to work with then I will edit the transcripts for Volume 2 in order to get ahead while more useful reviews appear.**


	16. V1-2: Intermission

**A/N**

 **I have gone back to previous chapters to change them all to present tense and turn all thought to italics. One other thing that I did though is remove all song lyrics. This is to conform with the site rules.**

 **One of the biggest reasons I've decided to fully conform to the rules is because I was informed about a group called Critics United. This group reports any story that breaks the rules after a two-week warning. While I haven't received a warning I think it's better to stay on the safe side.**

 **While I still have the soundtrack reactions you will have to listen to the song yourself or have a good enough memory to recall the themes they have.**

 **The above can now be disregarded, I have put the lyrics back in.**

 **For this chapter I feel I need to explain how the writing works. I will be putting the video title and then the event that they react too. Reactions will be seriously limited for Sun's viewing as to save me time. This means all but a few moments will be skipped.**

 **Some people have expressed worries that I'll be adding too many characters. To that I say that while it will get people less time in the spotlight, it shouldn't change too much. I plan on adding one more character after a short amount of time. After that there should be a long break until any new characters, with the earliest being after V5 with Ilia (though I might make her join even later depending on how the story goes).**

* * *

It took some time to get Sun fully up to speed on the situation, and even then, they all know they have to have him watch the videos.

"With you guys involved, I should have expected something like this." Sun says as he sits down on the armrest nearest to Blake.

"We've never been through something this weird before." Yang complains.

"And yet. It was only a matter of time." Sun responds. "But seriously, you're sure about Cinder and the others?"

"Positive." Blake answers. "We saw them talking with Torchwick and even discussing the fact that everything was her plan."

"And that plan is?" Sun asks.

"We don't know." Ruby answers. "We don't even have a clue as to what their goal is."

"Which is why we need you to watch the videos." Weiss says. "Once you have we'll be able to move on and watch more of the videos and even see the future."

"I thought you didn't believe we could see the future." Jaune comments.

Weiss scowls at this, not making direct eye contact. _'I still don't understand how this is possible. I wanted to see the future but doubted it could happen. But now we know that time really doesn't pass in here. Can we truly see events that haven't happened yet?'_

Pyrrha decides to change the subject. "So does this mean we will have to watch everything again?"

"There's no need." Blake replies. "I'll watch everything with Sun. Everyone else can do some training in the meantime."

"Thanks Blake." Jaune says. _'I really appreciate this.'_

* * *

After some time everyone else left the viewing room leaving only Blake and Sun.

"So you really wanted to spend quality time with me that badly, huh?" Sun jokes.

Blake rolls her eyes at this, starting the first video.

" **Red" Trailer**

"That was… interesting." Sun says, not sure how else to describe it.

"It was just a trailer." Blake explains. "We think that the trailers are meant to showcase the four main characters."

"Them being?" Sun asks.

"My team." Blake answers. "We don't know what that means though, but most of the events we see are following us."

" **Black" Trailer**

 **The Video begins with the perspective descending into Forever Fall to show Blake sitting on a rock facing away.**

"This ones about you?" Sun asks.

"Yes." Blake answers. "Though I'm not the only one."

" **Blake, it's time" A man walks in from the left.**

 **Blake turns to face him, "Okay."**

"Who's that?" Sun asks.

"Adam. My old partner from when I was in the White Fang." Blake explains.

"Wait! This was from when you were in the White Fang!?" Sun exclaims.

Blake sighs. "Yes. It was actually the day I left."

 **The two are shown running until they reach a cliff.**

 **The sound of a train is heard before being shown traveling beneath the cliff.**

 **Blake and Adam descend onto the roof of a train cart before running forward in the direction of a hatch.**

"So you and this Adam?" Sun inquires. "You were close?"

"Yes, we were dating." Blake answers, understanding Sun's intention.

"Oh… erm… okay." Sun replies nervously.

"I ended my relationship with him when I left the White Fang." Blake says. "He was becoming far to violent. It's actually one of the main reasons I left."

' _Perhaps it would be best if he were put behind bars.'_ Sun thinks.

* * *

 **Blake and Adam enter into the next cart where they find may crates of Schnee dust.**

" **Perfect." Adam states "Move up to the next car." A mysterious machine is shown moving on the ceiling as he gives his instructions.**

" **I'll set the charges." He declares.**

" **What about the crewmembers?" Blake asks.**

" **What about them?" he replies with an obvious disregard for their lives.**

"He was willing to kill them? I see why you dumped him." Sun comments.

"This wasn't the first time something like this happened." Blake says. "I just wasn't on any of the same mission as him for the other times."

"If he's willing to go so far then wouldn't it be a good idea to, like, tell someone!" Sun exclaims. "Get the authorities hunting him down."

"He's already a wanted criminal." Blake reveals. "And I don't have any idea of where he is now."

* * *

" **Move!" Adam yells as the Beam is fired and he catches it with his sword.**

 **As his body starts to glow, the droid jumps toward him. Adam then slashes out with his sword, disintegrating the droid and even affecting the trees in the Red Forest causing their leaves to fly into the air.**

"Wow!" Sun yells. "He's strong!"

"I know." Blake responds. "It's part of his semblance. He can absorb attacks and send them back at you."

"If I'm being completely honest then that is terrifying." Sun says.

 **As Adam walks back towards Blake, he finds her on a separate train car standing near the connector between the cars. As he reaches out to her...**

" **Goodbye." She says, severing the connection and letting the released carts slow down as she lets the rest of the train continue en-route. As she leaves, the background becomes completely red with a black silhouette of Blake in the middle, with black leaves falling down.**

"And that's how I left." Blake says. "I didn't want to be a part of the violence anymore, so I ran."

"You did the right thing." Sun tries to comfort her.

"So I've been told." Blake responds. "But I still think that if I'd stayed then I might have been able to stop them from joining with Torchwick." _'And Cinder.'_

Sun chooses to ignore this, picking up the remote to start a new video.

"I think that's enough for today." Blake comments.

"Seriously, but we just finished the trailers." Sun complains.

"I had to wait a night for the rest, so I think it's only fair that you do too." Blake responds.

* * *

The next day

 **Volume 1: Chapter 1: Ruby Rose**

 **"Legends. Stories scattered through time."**

"Who's that?" Sun asks.

"We don't know." Blake replies. "We think it might be some kind of historical figure. But other than that we have no idea."

* * *

 **Goodwitch waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple at the aircraft causing Torchwick to stumble around the vehicle.**

 **He eventually makes it to the cockpit where a woman dressed in a red mini dress with yellow designs is piloting, however her face is off camera, so she can't be properly identified.**

"And you're saying that's Cinder right?" Sun asks, still not entirely convinced.

"Yes. We're certain of it." Blake answers. "It was revealed at the end of the video we watched just before you arrived."

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon**

 **"It's heiress, actually." Blake enters the scene. ""Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."**

"I see this is your grand entry." Sun remarks, causing Blake to roll her eyes.

"How long until I make an appearance." Sun asks **.**

"It won't be until chapter nine." Blake explains.

 **Weiss smiles smugly. "Finally! Some recognition!"**

 **"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces and questionable business partners." Blake turns the entire conversation around.**

"Ice queen is rather smug isn't she." Sun says.

"I suppose." Blake responds. "She can be rather… difficult through out the first volume. But I expect it will be better after that."

"Wait. So… how far did you get?" Sun asks.

"We've seen up until the Dust robbery you helped stop." Blake says. "Most of it is things we already know. But there are a few things we've learnt."

"Like the part about Cinder?" Sun asks.

"That." Blake confirms. "And that Ozpin knows something important that he's choosing to hide."

"Ozpin? Really?" Sun is confused by this.

"You'll understand when we get to the final chapter." Blake explains.

* * *

 **"Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!" Blake says.**

 **Ruby and Yang stand there**

" **That I will continue to read." Blake continues**

 **Ruby and Yang continue standing**

" **As soon as you leave!" Blake makes it clear she wants to be alone.**

"Someone wasn't trying to make any friends." Sun says.

"I didn't want to get close to too many people." Blake explains. "Getting too close would risk having my identity revealed."

"You honestly thought you could get through Beacon without anyone knowing?" Sun asks.

"I was hoping too." Blake replies quietly.

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 3: The First Step**

" **That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin reveals.**

"That's how Beacon decides the teams!?" Sun asks in shock.

"It's not the same for you?" Blake asks.

"Our teams are made using more… normal methods." Sun says. "We have a trial period working alongside several people, then later the teachers decide what will work best. You guys are lucky to have such good teams."

"I know." Blake agrees. "There are a few people in my year that I would never want to be on a team with."

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 5: Players and Pieces**

 **Ruby lands beside the severed head as the body of the giant Nevermore falls lifeless to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch in amazement.**

"I take everything I said earlier back. Beacon has one of the coolest initiations." Sun says, marvelling at what he just saw.

"Most of the other teams didn't have to go through anything like this." Blake points out. "I actually heard that ours was one of the most exciting first days in over twenty years."

* * *

 **The scene cuts to the auditorium where Ozpin is announcing the teams. "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" The audience claps to applaud them.**

"Those are the people I would never want to be on a team with." Blake says.

"What's so bad about them?" Sun asks.

"They're bullies." Blake explains. "And they treat Faunus terribly."

* * *

 **"And finally. Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin announces the last team as JNPR leaves the stage and are replaced by the aforementioned girls. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY." The audience cheers again.**

"And that's how one of the best, and scariest, teams was formed." Sun narrates.

"You think we're scary?" Blake raises an eyebrow. "And here I thought we were friends."

"We are friends." Sun quickly responds. "It's just that… I'm hoping to not have to fight you early in the tournament."

"Don't think you can win?" Blake asks, now curious.

"Even if we did win. I'm worried about what you girls would do to us later." Sun says.

"I suppose Weiss would be quite angry." Blake recalls.

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 6: The Badge and The Burden**

 **"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team." Ruby reminds Weiss.**

 **"Not a team led by you." Weiss says. "I've studied and trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better."**

 **Weiss turns her back to Ruby, who tries to reach out but drops her hand with the following words.**

" **Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss walks away, leaving Ruby alone.**

"The ice queen was sorta a bitch." Sun comments, receiving a hit to the back of his head for doing so.

"What was that for?" Sun turns around to see Weiss standing behind the sofa. "Oh… sorry."

"That's what you get for talking about someone from behind their back." Weiss says, as she walks to the back door.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asks.

"I was getting something from my room, thank you very much!" Weiss says in a dominating tone. "Make sure to hit him for me if he says anything like that again."

"Will do." Blake smiles as Weiss leaves the room.

Sun meanwhile is laughing nervously. "You don't honestly plan on doing what she said right?"

Blake smirks. "We'll see."

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 7: Jaunedice**

 **Everyone stops their distractions and stare at Jaune, who responds "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" he holds up a thumb while laughing nervously.**

 **Laughter is at another table and everyone turns to see Team CRDL, standing around Velvet. Cardin laughs at her while one of his teammates holds up his hands to his head in a mock interpretation of her Velvet's ears.**

"That's terrible!" Sun yells. "I should show that guy a thing or two." He tightly grips his weapon.

"He hasn't done anything like that in a while." Blake points out. "And after everything we've already seen him do in these videos, I doubt you'll be the first to attack him."

* * *

 **They all look over as team CRDL's laughing grows louder, mixed in with cries of pain from Velvet when one of her ears are tugged on by Cardin.**

"That's it! I'm breaking his legs!" Sun announces. "When we get back I'm going to break his legs."

"Just because Nora said it doesn't make it a good idea." Blake warns. "You don't want to start an incident, do you? When the media find out that a 'savage animal' from Haven attacked one of Beacon's pupils, it won't end well."

"Fine. I'll ask someone else to do it. I'm sure Yang won't need much persuading." Sun responds.

' _The sad truth is that he's right'_ Blake thinks. _'Though personally I think Pyrrha is more likely to do it.'_

* * *

 **"Very funny, Mr. Arc!" Oobleck zooms back behind his desk. "Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject!"**

 **"Well." Cardin responds. "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."**

"I really hate people like that." Sun grimaces. "And I've had to deal with my fair share of them while in Mistral."

"They treat you that badly?" Blake asks.

"Sorta." Sun responds. "Its hard to tell if they don't like me because I'm a Faunus or because I keep getting into trouble."

' _Hopefully the latter.'_ Blake thinks.

* * *

 **"I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!" Jaune looks at Pyrrha. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"**

"Jaune lied his way into Beacon!" Sun is shocked by the revelation. "That's impressive."

"What do you mean?" Blake asks.

"I've heard of similar things happening at Shade Academy. But they usually get figured out pretty quickly." Sun explains. "What's impressive is that some people are able to improve enough in the first few weeks that they are still allowed to attend even after they're caught."

"You think that happened with Jaune?" Blake asks.

"I doubt at least some of the Beacon staff wouldn't be able to figure it out." Sun answers. "They were probably impressed enough to let him continue."

' _That or Ozpin chose to let him continue.'_ Blake thinks. _'He does seem to have a way of finding out people's secrets.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 8: Forever Fall**

 **"I don't care what you do to me..." Jaune says, face bruised by the earlier beatings. He then looks at Cardin with fury in his eyes. "... but you are not messing with my team."**

"He certainly knows how to be a good leader." Sun remarks.

"You ever had to do something like that?" Blake asks.

"Nah. My team knows how to look after itself. And no one at Haven is dumb enough to mess with us." Sun replies.

' _Cardin was being pretty stupid. Trying to pick a fight with Pyrrha.'_ Blake thinks _'That must be why he tried to threaten Jaune into throwing the sap.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 9: The Stray**

"This is when I first make an appearance right?" Sun asks.

"Yes." Blake confirms.

* * *

 **As Weiss starts walking away, Blake reveals the real reason for them being at the docks. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."**

 **Weiss scoffs at the accusation. "You can't prove that!"**

"Is Weiss really that serious about trying to win the tournament?" Sun asks.

"She is." Blake replies. "She's already been taking notes on how to beat certain teams."

"Including mine?" Sun inquires."

Blake doesn't answer. Instead looking back to the screen.

* * *

 **"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake crosses her arms now, getting serious. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."**

 **"Misguided?" Weiss questions sarcastically. "They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"**

"I'm gonna have to half agree with Weiss here." Sun comments. "After what they tried to do with the breach, it's kinda hard to defend the White Fang."

"I know." Blake sighs. _'I just hope it's only the actions of a splinter group.'_

* * *

 **"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss continues her prejudice speech, much to Blake's growing anger. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."**

"Now that I can't agree with at all." Sun says. "She shouldn't group us together like that."

"She's improved since then." Blake reminds him. "Besides, can you honestly say you haven't done all of those things?"

"That's because I'm from Vacuo." Sun points out. "Being a Faunus has nothing to do with it."

* * *

 **As the team overhears the cry for help and rush over to investigate, Sun Wukong is seen running down the length of a boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him.**

 **Sun looks back at his pursuers. "Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!" He jumps off and hits the dock running.**

"And here I am." Sun smiles proudly. "About time I made an appearance."

* * *

 **As Sun runs past Team RWBY, he winks at an astonished Blake in slow motion before time speeds up again and he continues to be chased by the officers.**

' _That was so cool. I'm sure she must have been charmed by me almost immediately.'_ Sun smiles.

Blake notices this and decides to speak up. "I was thinking that you were clearly desperate."

"That's a lie and you know it." Sun retorts.

* * *

 **Weiss finally sees that she fell on a smiling girl, which startles the heiress and she hastily gets up.**

 **"Sal-u-ta-tions!" Penny greets them, still down on the ground, smiling widely.**

"Who's that?" Sun asks.

"That's Penny." Blake explains. "She's a student from Atlas that came here for the tournament. She's also now a friend of Ruby's."

* * *

 **"Stop it!" Blake yells.**

 **"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss says.**

"Did she really think that?" Sun asks, quite insulted by the idea.

"I'm not sure." Blake replies. "She has a very bad opinion of the White Fang, and you did break the law."

"But that's no reason to lump me in with a terrorist group." Sun says.

* * *

 **"I'm a victim!" Weiss yells. As they stare each other down in silence, Weiss leans in close, leering as she speaks quietly. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?"**

 **Weiss leans against the bookshelf by the window. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." She bangs her fist on the bookshelf.**

"I guess I understand now." Sun rubs the back of his neck. "If she went through something like that then it's now wonder she has a bad impression."

"I know." Blake sighs. "We need to make sure people have a good opinion of us." She then glares at Sun.

"I get it." Sun raises his hands in defeat. "I'll stop stealing stuff when I don't need to."

* * *

 **On the verge of crying, Blake becomes startled when she hears a voice above her.**

 **"I knew you would look better without the bow." Sun voice is heard.**

 **Blake turns around and looks up.**

"I still think you should stop hiding yourself." Sun says. "Nothing good will come from it."

"In want people to judge me for who I am rather that what I look like." Blake replies.

"Then why are you wearing it now?" Sun points out. "Everyone here already knows so there's nothing to hide." He reaches out to remove Blakes bow.

Before he can reach it though, Blake grabs his wrist and gives a serious look. "Let's just get on to the last video."

* * *

 **Volume 1: Final Chapter: Black and White**

 **Blake rolls her eyes before closing them and looking at him sadly. "Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?"**

 **"Of course!" Sun puts down his cup for a moment. "I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!"**

"Sorry." Sun apologises. "I wouldn't have said that if I had known."

"It's fine." Blake replies. "It's why I left in the first place." _'This just proves how bad we were getting.'_

* * *

 **Silhouettes of Faunus protestors are revealed, and emerging from the shadows is a young girl with dark hair and cat ears.**

 **"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. And I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."**

"That's what you used to look like?" Sun asks.

"For the most part." Blake admits. "It's just a drawing so it's not perfect, but I did look like that."

* * *

 **Ruby sighs again. "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we though she was..."**

 **Penny gasps. "Is she a man?"**

Sun is startled by this. "Is that girl… okay?"

"Ruby says she's fine." Blake answers. "But she did reveal that she has a secret about her that she can't reveal."

* * *

 **Blake stares sadly at the scene. "No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right." she closes her eyes in despair, only to open them suddenly when she hears a new voice.**

 **"Hey! What's the holdup!?" Torchwick's voice is heard as the man himself comes down the Bullhead ramp. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"**

"Can't wait to find out what that bastard was planning." Sun smirks.

"He's already in jail." Blake reminds him. "I doubt he'll cause any more problems at this point. The ones we should be worried about are Cinder and her team."

"So, what's the plan." Sun asks. "There must be something we can do."

"We haven't decided on one yet." Blake says. "We're planning on discussing it once you're caught up."

* * *

 **Just as Torchwick deals with one opponent, Sun appears right behind her and disconnects his staff in two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swings each gun at Torchwick while firing everything he as at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Torchwick manages to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allows Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.**

"Good to see I'm not completely outshined by everyone else's weapons." Sun remarks. "I was starting to get worried that after seeing everything else, my fighting style would be boring."

##

 **Three Bullheads come from the skies and open fire on the battle, but Penny merely forms a shield from her rotating blades and launches two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pull their wielder back with their strings, that can now be more clearly seen. When her swords form a circle in front of her, she commands them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light in the centre. With a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when they fire at the transports and slice each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as Bullheads fall in pieces behind her.**

"Great." Sun says sarcastically. "Another person with an inane ability. And here I though the Tournament would be tough enough as it is."

* * *

 **Ozpin is seen holding a Scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Ruby at the docks. He closes the video and opens up a message from the message is shown, the team name and other info is left blank and his only message is: "QUEEN HAS PAWNS."**

"What's that about?" Sun asks.

"We're not sure." Blake replies. "Qrow is Ruby and Yang's uncle, but we're not entirely sure what it's meant to mean. We think that it refers to Cinder working with Torchwick and the White Fang."

* * *

 **The view pans over to show three figures standing before Torchwick. Yellow eyes and flowing dark hair, is all that can be seen from the front person, and the others are completely obscured. "We were expecting... more from you." The front person says, it's the same voice as before.**

"This is how you learnt about Cinder?" Sun asks.

"Yes." Blake confirms. "We're almost at the end now."

 **Torchwick laughs a little before getting serious. "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang."**

 **The other person chuckles darkly. "And you will continue to do so." The perspective pans behind her, revealing her to be wearing a red Dress.**

 **The Woman summons a fireball in her hand and steps out of the darkness.**

 **Now with a clear view, the woman is revealed to be Cinder Fall.**

"It's really true." Sun mutters in wonder. "Not that I doubted any of you, but it's still hard to believe."

"I understand." Blake sighs. "But at least now we know. We can prepare for what comes next."

"So, can we start figuring out a plan now?" Sun asks.

"That seems like a good idea." Blake replies. "Let me go get the others."

* * *

Later in the viewing room

"First things first." Weiss leads the conversation. "What do we do about Cinder once we get back?"

Yang cracks her fists. "Beat them up and throw them in jail." she proudly declares.

"Yang!" Ruby snaps at her sister.

"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." Yang replies.

"But what if we fail?" Ren calmly asks. "If we let her know that we know about her, then she could run away and possibly continue her plans from somewhere else."

"Shouldn't we tell the police?" Sun asks.

"I never thought I'd hear you choose to work with the police." Weiss mentions.

"I'm just saying." Sun remarks. "If we can get her caught without a big fight then that's a big victory for us."

"And how do you suggest we catch her?" Pyrrha asks. "For that matter how do we convince the police that she needs to be caught?"

"We could tell Ozpin." Jaune suggests. "He's obviously against her plans so it would make things much easier."

"What even are her plans?" Ruby wonders. "It's not as if she gained anything from The Breach. So, what was the point?"

"She could be an anarchist?" Blake points out. "If so then it would explain a lot."

"We need more answers." Weiss summarises. "And we need to know if Ozpin can be trusted. I don't doubt that he's a good person. But he clearly has far too many secrets."

"let's just watch more." Nora complains. "It'll be so much easier when we know everything.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Current plan:

Tell Ozpin (?)

Defeat Cinder (how?)

Learn more, change plan to match new info

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I hated writing this chapter.**

 **I have learnt that I have no talent for writing purely new situations that aren't based on something from previously. In the future don't expect many long intermissions. If you have advice on how to improve this chapter, then it's much appreciated.**

 **New question: What are your opinions on me writing in present tense? I don't plan on changing it but I would like to know.**

 **I should now be back to my previous rate of writing so be** **thankful** **.**


	17. V2: C1: Best Day Ever

**A/N**

 **This chapter took slightly longer than expected to make. This is because it ended up tackling heavier subjects than I initially expected, and I wanted to do them justice.**

 **Thanks to MorenoX25 for pointing out that in V1C9 Weiss referred to the Vytal festival as every year. I have now fixed the issue.**

 **If you see any issues with this fic that conflict with canon then don't hesitate to mention it.**

 **Unfortunatly I can't do strikethrough on this site so XXXthisXXX means it's been erased**

 **After writing parts of this chapter, I must now consider updating this fic to be rated M**

* * *

After some time, everyone was ready for the next video. They sit as they did before, however Sun is sitting on the armrest of team RWBY's couch, with Blake sitting next to him.

Without much pause, Weiss starts the new video.

 **Volume 2: Chapter 1: Best Day Ever**

"Any ideas about what this refers to?" Sun asks.

They others think about this for some time, then suddenly Ruby comes up with a possible answer. "The day before second semester!"

"Err. What?" Yang questions.

"It was my plan to have that be the best day ever. I even made a list of fun activities for us all to do." Ruby explains.

"What did you end up doing?" Jaune asks.

"That was the day we had the food fight." Weiss deadpans.

"Now that I remember." Sun says.

"You weren't even there." Blake points out.

"I was actually watching from the side-lines." Sun reveals. _'That was when I realised how strong you all are.'_

 **A ship flies through the skies over Vale as the view pans down to the city streets. The owner of the Dust shop "From Dust Till Dawn" is hanging a sign declaring its re-opening. As he climbs down from his ladder, he stumbles and falls.**

"Still sure about your idea?" Nora says to Ruby.

"Wait a bit. I'm sure we'll get to it." Ruby answers.

" **Scuse me, sorry. I'm not really from around here." Emerald apologises as she helps the old man to his feet.**

' _Emerald!'_ Most of the room grimaces.

"This is an excellent opportunity to find out about our enemies." Weiss points out. "Ren? Are you taking notes?"

"On it." Ren confirms as he franticly writes everything of importance.

" **Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?" Emerald produces a piece of paper with writing on it and the shopkeeper looks it over.**

" **Hmm? Mm-hmm." The shopkeeper wordlessly agrees.**

"I wasn't able to write the entire thing." Ren tells them. "I will have to watch this again to finish my notes."

"Of course." Weiss accepts this.

"There may be no need." Pyrrha tells them. "If we see her going to the place then it would no longer be a problem.

 **Later, Emerald walks away from the shop owner as both wave goodbye as she passes Mercury at a corner.**

' _Good, we get to see Mercury too.'_ Yang thinks. _'Let's see what they have planned.'_

" **I knew you were lost." Mercury makes his presence known to Emerald.**

" **Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." Emerald produces a wallet with Lien and waves it in Mercury's face.**

" **That's not your money." Mercury pints out.**

" **But it can be yours for 5 minutes of silence." Emerald bribes.**

"She stole it?" Sun says. "Add that to the list of reasons we have to stop them."

"Like you're one to talk." Weiss accuses.

"Hey!" Sun raises an objection. "I've never stolen wallets before. It's just the odd thing to help me out in the moment."

' _Sounds like an excuse to me.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **Mmmm..." Mercury considers this for a bit. "no deal."**

" **Fine." Emerald grimaces as she takes out the Lien and tosses the wallet, turning to walk away.**

" **Whatever. You want me." Mercury jokes, chuckling after he does so.**

"Are they in a relationship?" Nora wonders. "I guess I can sorta see it."

"It's hard to tell." Yang admits. "I think I saw them together at the dance."

"That could just be them going together as a cover." Blake points out. "It's not as if they had anyone else to go with."

 **As Mercury and Emerald are walking, more of the city is shown. The city is overflowing with a busy yet comfortable atmosphere.**

" **So, how much farther?" Mercury asks.**

" **A few blocks." Emerald replies.**

"Isn't this the commercial district?" Ruby notices.

"That's right!" Yang says. "But who could they be meeting here?"

"Possibly a black-market dealer." Blake proposes.

"In the commercial district?" Weiss questions.

"It makes things easier." Blake explains. "That way they can store things and sell them off without arising suspicion."

' _Blake seems to know a lot about this stuff.'_ Yang ponders. _'What kind of things did they have her do in the White Fang?'_

" **Ugh... this place is so dull." Mercury complains.**

" **Eh, I kinda like it." Emerald says. "Tall buildings, diverse culture..."**

" **And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." Mercury interrupts.**

 **Emerald stops. "That's every city."**

"So Emerald is a full-blown thief." Nora summarises. "Not just a casual pickpocket."

" **Ooh, Emerald! Master thief!" Mercury play acts as a victim. "Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!"**

 **Emerald glares at him, groaning angrily. She then walks away.**

"That would be a yes." Yang responds to Nora's previous statement. "Does that help us in any way?"

"We'll have to be careful about carrying important information on us when we get back." Pyrrha says. "It may even be best to not convey thing unless through word of mouth."

Nora gasps. "Are you saying all of Ren's hard work will be for nothing?! That is cruel! I never expected betrayal of this kind from you."

' _Oh god, I said something wrong.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I'd better say something before...'_

"Nora. Stop joking." Ren interrupts Pyrrha's train of thought. "The notes are meant for helping us understand the situation while in this space. Before we leave I hope to have everyone familiarise themselves with the most important details."

Pyrrha gives a breath of relief. _'It seems I misunderstood. This always happens with Nora, I should learn not to take her insults at face value.'_

" **Ugh... you're no fun today." Mercury sighs.**

 **Mercury follows behind Emerald. The scene shifts to Emerald and Mercury entering a shop full of books. The shop owner can be heard humming a tune from a back room. Mercury stops near the door to look at books while Emerald approaches the counter and rings a service bell.**

Blakes eyes widen at the familiar setting. _'Tukson? What does he have to do with this? Isn't he in Vacuo by this point? He should at least be leaving some time soon.'_

" **Be right there!" A male voice is heard. From the back room.**

 **The shop owner is seen through a set of double doors carrying stacks of books as he walks backwards and out toward the counter. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!" He sets the stacks down offscreen. "How may I..." he turns around, seeing the current 'customers'. "How may I help you?"**

"This guys a black-market dealer?" Sun raises an eye in scepticism.

"He's not!" Blake shout's. Then immediately covers her mouth, realising her mistake.

"You know him?" Ruby asks, not a hint of anger or suspicion in her voice.

Blake looks down, slightly guilty. "He's a friend from my time in the White Fang. He even sold me most of the books I own."

"The White Fang!" Weiss yells in shock. "And you still keep in touch with him?!"

"He's not like that!" Blake explains. "He opposes the violence as much as I did before I left. Out of all the White Fang members, you can be sure that he doesn't have any bad intentions."

' _And yet here he is.'_ Weiss thinks. _'In contact with the people Torchwick worked for.'_

" **Just browsing." Mercury responds as he slams a book shut.**

" **Actually, I was wondering, do you have any copies of The Thief and The Butcher?" Emerald asks in a pleasant tone.**

" **Yes we do." Tukson answers.**

"Is it possible that they're just shopping?" Jaune asks.

"Unlikely." Ruby responds. "Why else would we be shown this."

" **That's great." Emerald says excitedly.**

" **Would you... like a copy?" Tukson inquires.**

" **No, just wondering." Emerald responds as Mercury closes another book, louder than required. "Oh, oh! What about Violet's Garden? In paperback?"**

" **He's got it. Hardback too." Mercury says as he produces a book.**

' _What is this?'_ Blake suddenly gets very worried. _'He obviously doesn't know them. So why are they there.'_ She has an idea for a possible reason, but quickly discards it. She would rather not think about the possibility.

" **Ooh, options are nice." Emerald puts on a thinking pose.**

 **Mercury looks inside the book. "Eh, no pictures." He loudly closes the book and throws it to the ground. "Hey! Do you have any comics?"**

" **Near the front." Tukson replies.**

"What is he, a kid." Weiss says. "What kind of person looks for comics in a book store."

' _I like comics.'_ Ruby thinks. _'It's nice to not have to read so many words and immerse my self in a beautiful looking world.'_

" **Oh, no, wait!" Emerald speaks up. "What... about... Third Crusade?"**

 **Ominous music starts playing in the background.**

"Oh no." Blake mutters, her previous idea almost confirmed.

"What's the Third Crusade?" Yang asks, worried about her partners bleak expression.

"It doesn't matter." Blake responds. "But you can tell by the tone that this won't end well." _'Perhaps they just want to punish him. It's not as if it has to end in death.'_

 **Tukson hesitates, visibly unnerved. "Um... I..." Mercury and Emerald are shown to be eyeing him carefully.**

" **...don't believe we carry that one." Tukson finishes his sentence.**

 **Mercury loudly slams another book shut. "Oh."**

' _I'm sorry for doubting you Blake.'_ Weiss realises the situation. _'I should have anticipated something like this.'_

" **What was this place called again?" Emerald asks.**

" **Tukson's Book Trade." Tukson replies.**

" **And you're Tukson?" Emerald clarifies.**

" **That's right." Tukson confirms.**

Blakes breathing becomes heavy. Her entire body tenses up and sweat can be seen on her uncovered skin.

" **So then I take it that you're the one that came up with the catchphrase?" Emerald asks.**

" **Yes." Tukson says.**

" **And, what was it again?" Mercury chimes in.**

 **Tukson sighs. "Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun."**

" **Except the Third Crusade." Mercury points out.**

" **It's just a catchphrase." Tukson says.**

" **It's false advertising!" Mercury shouts.**

Seeing the terrible state that Blake is in, Sun puts his hand on her shoulder. This is meant to be a comforting gesture, but Blake barely notices it. Her eyes locked on the screen, so worried that she dares not look away.

" **You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald says in a calm voice. Mercury activates a switch near the entrance causing a front window to darken.**

" **I hear that you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." Emerald continues as Mercury activates another switch and the window in the front door darkens.**

" **Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that." Emerald says as Mercury activates the third and final switch, darkening the last window as he smiles creepily at Tukson. "And neither are we..."**

"Don't you dare, don't you dare, don't you dare, don't you dare, don't you dare, don't you dare." Blake quietly repeats this phrase over and over.

At this point, everyone knows about how badly Blake is handling the situation. But they're all to hesitant to say anything. Either because they feel they aren't close enough to her, or because they that nothing they say would help her through this.

" **You know who we are, don't you?" Emerald asks.**

" **Yes." Tukson's brows drop in anger.**

 **Emerald follows up with another question. "And you know why we're here?"**

" **Yes." Tukson says in a serious tone, now preparing for the inevitable.**

" **So... are you going to fight back?" Emerald asks her final question as Mercury walks to stand directly behind her.**

" **Yes!" Tukson shouts as he produces claws from his fingers and jumps on the counter.**

' _Maybe he can win. I know he's a good fighter.'_ Blake quickly latches onto the small hope that things will turn out okay. But then quickly realises that since Emerald and Mercury are still around, that can't be the case.

' _But he can still escape.'_ Blake's eyes fill with tears, knowing that her thoughts are useless.

 **Tukson leaps from the counter aiming a powerful strike at Emeralds head, but she dodges this with ease. He looks forward and is surprised at Mercury as he raises one leg for a kick with his shotgun-greaves.**

Blakes mouth hangs open, and her arms slouch as tears slowly stream down her face. She understands what just happened. But it's taking time for it to soak in.

 **The scene cuts to later as Mercury and Emerald exit Tukson's Book Trade. Emerald stretches her arms overhead and Mercury is carrying a comic.**

' _They're monsters.'_ Ruby realises, shaken by this experience. _'I knew they were bad guys. But I never understood the extent of their actions.'_ Her view of the world is almost tarnished by this. Now knowing that people who act so friendly, can do such horrible things without a care.

" **What's with that?" Emerald indicates to the comic.**

" **I like the pictures." Mercury replies, completely nonchalant voice, despite what just happened.**

' _How dare they.'_ Blake eyes suddenly narrow. _'I'll make them pay for this.'_ A cold fury rises within her.

 **As they leave, the view pans over to inside the books store. Within can be seen a bloodied floor, with Tukson's lifeless body laying in the centre, and what remains of his head scattered around him. The screen cuts to black.**

Almost everyone's reactions to this is immediate.

"What the Fuck!" Yang yells in anguish.

Ruby shrivels into the couch. Desperately trying not to think about the man's pain, or how no one was there to save him from this cruel fate. This does not succeed however. Instead she just feels worse about herself for trying to avoid the problem.

Weiss dedicates herself purely on the trial of not vomiting. As an heiress this is the first time she has seen such a cruel thing. _'Could this be what it's like in the mines?'_ She realises. _'I'm sure they don't get killed in such a way, but could the conditions be so bad that it makes someone feel like I do now.'_ She's rarely had to deal with this kind of pain, and never before has she had to look at something like this first-hand.

Team JNPR doesn't deal with this much better. Jaune and Pyrrha also struggle to keep their meals inside them.

Ren deals with this relatively well given the fact that he activated his semblance on himself the moment he saw the blood, but even then, it doesn't completely stifle his emotions, only hide them from the Grimm.

Nora takes it so badly that she has to run over to a nearby bin in order to empty her stomach into it. Her eating habits seem to have backfired on her in this situation.

Sun simply looks down sadly. His time in Vacuo wasn't full of pleasant things, but he still feels the tragedy of the situation. His main advantage being a tolerance to the grotesque.

Blake is the last to react. The entire situation having temporarily put her mind on halt. But when she finally responds, the only thing she can do is let out a high-pitched wail.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Blake face is now covered in tears. The frantic cries continue, and the water flooding from her eyes quickly creates a pool of tears on the lap. She grabs her hair, almost desperate to rip it out of her scalp.

"Why did we have to be shown this!" Yang yell's. "We already knew what happened! You didn't have to put us through this!" She directs her shouts at the screen, eyes already red.

No reply is given however. Instead the screen continues to show darkness, waiting for the audience to recover.

Blake is taking this the worst for obvious reasons. _'I'll kill them.'_ She thinks in a moment of pure emotion. _'I'll kill them for this.'_

Yang now notices Blake's horrible state and try to help her from it. "Remember we're here for you." Yang says.

"Yeah! If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Sun is quick to give his support.

In response to this, Blake simply wipes away her tears, and nods her head slowly.

 **The next scene fades in with a series of sketches and notes mark. These include the old White Fang insignia, and a picture that resembles Adam Taurus.**

' _No.'_ Blake remembers her previous thoughts. _'I can't go down that path.'_

 **Blake looks down at her notes. Yang then suddenly slides up next to her partner.**

' _But what am I meant to do with this hatred?'_ Blake thinks. _'I can't forgive them for what they did, so what am I supposed to do?'_ This is one of the most challenging moments for her. Up until now she has been actively against revenge and other such feeling. But now she feels a personal reason to do such things. _'It's not as if I'd be hurting the innocent.'_ She tries to justify herself. _'They clearly have ill intent, so I would be doing the world a favour.'_

" **Whatcha doing?" Yang asks.**

" **Nothing." Blake closes her book. "Just going over notes from last semester." It is revealed that they are sitting in the cafeteria with Weiss sitting the other side of Blake and Ruby nowhere to be seen.**

"I guess Ruby was right. We will be seeing the food fight." Weiss says this without any enthusiasm in her voice. How could she, after what they just saw.

 **A grape comes flying at Yang, that she catches in her mouth and eats. She then turns to Blake and responds to the previous statement. "Lame."**

 **From the other side of the table, Nora giggles as she continues to toss grapes at Yang with her spoon. Yang catches the fruit with ease, giving Nora the thumbs up.**

"How can the tone change so quickly?" Pyrrha asks with her eyes dipped. "How can it go from 'that' to this. Acting like the previous parts don't matter."

"It means that there's always good in the world." Ruby responds. "No matter how bad things get, there's always something worth fighting for." It turns out that the sudden tone shift is exactly what Ruby needed to help herself recover from her thoughts from before.

' _She always makes it seem so easy.'_ Blake is still mentally wrestling with her own inner demons at this point.

 **Suddenly, Ruby appears with an enormous binder that she places onto the table with a large thud, catching everyone off guard. On the cover of the binder is written 'Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee'. This has been hastily crossed out with a red marker pen, and with the same pen, a new title, 'Best Day Ever Activities', has been written underneath.**

 **Triumphant music starts playing as Ruby clears her throat and gestures to everyone at the table. "Sisters... friends... Weiss."**

" **Hey!" Weiss complains from offscreen.**

Weiss glares at the girl in question.

"It was just a joke." Ruby says.

' _But why do those jokes always have to be at my expense.'_ Weiss thinks, though she soon rolls her eyes at the situation. _'At least they don't treat me like they're looking for a raise.'_

" **Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream." Ruby continues her speech.**

" **This ought to be good." Yang remarks. She then catches another berry in her mouth.**

" **A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!" Ruby says.**

"Well I think you did a great job." Jaune mentions. By now almost all of them have decided to put the previous event behind them. Almost.

" **Did you steal my binder?" Weiss accuses her partner.**

" **I am not a crook." Ruby responds as the music continues.**

' _At least she put the previous contents away properly.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It would have been a nightmare having to sort them all.'_

" **What are you talking about?" Blake asks.**

" **I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" Ruby points her finger at Blake.**

 **Yang chooses to take this opportunity to make a joke. "I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" At this point the music trails of, as if a marching band has come to an unceremonious stop.**

"Urgh." Ruby groans at this. "Can you believe I've had to deal with that kind of stuff my entire life."

"Come here you!" Yang gets her sister in a headlock and starts rubbing her head.

"Oww… Oww… Sis please stop." Ruby pleads.

' _How can they ignore it so soon.'_ Blake wonders. _'It's like they don't even want to think about it.'_

 **An apple is tossed at Yang and hits her in the face. "Boooooooooooooooo!" Nora yells from offscreen. Yang glares at her for this.**

"Booooo!" Present Nora agrees with this sentiment.

" **Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great!" Ruby tells her team "But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today."**

" **I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store." Weiss says.**

"Why not both?" Nora comments. "You could be proud of how scary the events are."

"Trust me, I am." Weiss says. "A lot of out activities since then have been recycled ideas from that day."

' _That would explain some of the more, unusual things we've been a part of.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

 **Yang, still glaring in Nora's direction, picks up an apple and tosses it across the room. Offscreen, an unfamiliar voice shouts "Hey!" and Nora can be heard giggling.**

' _So that's how it started.'_ Weiss realises. _'Should have expected it to be Yang and Nora.'_

" **I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake says with a slightly tired voice.**

" **Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss declares.**

"Well that certainly happened." Jaune says.

 **From offscreen, Nora shouts "I got it!"**

" **I for one think that..." Weiss is interrupted by a pie landing on her face.**

"Wow. What happens next can't be pretty." Sun says.

"It wasn't." Ruby admits. "It was weird to see Weiss acting so wild."

"Hey, spoilers." Sun complains.

 **Nora is shown to be the one who threw the pie, she sits down and points at Ren who has his head in his palm. Pyrrha's hand is over her mouth and Jaune simply sits staring wide-eyed.**

"How did you even miss that." Yang asks. "It's not as if it was hard to hit me."

"I was caught up in the moment." Nora says. She then quickly tries to catch herself, "And it wasn't me, it was Ren."

"As if anyone believes that." Jaune mutters.

 **Meanwhile, outside the cafeteria, Sun and Neptune are walking together as Sun relates the events which took place during 'Black and White'.**

" **Man, that's harsh." Neptune comments on an unknown detail Sun previously said.**

"Wait, so we don't get to see Weiss's reaction." Ruby says.

' _Oh, thank god.'_ Weiss thinks. The idea of anyone being able to see her like that is not one she wants to entertain.

" **I know, we were fighting side by side." Sun talks in a quick and excited tone. "She was super-fast, and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome."**

" **Nice!" Neptune responds.**

"Not as awesome as you think it was." Weiss comments.

"Oh come on." Sun remarks. "Do you have to be such a downer."

" **Right? And the best part is, she's a Faunus." Sun says, then suddenly covers his mouth.**

Sun winces, seeing his earlier mistake. But when he turns his head to look at Blakes reaction, he notices that she hasn't. Instead, Blake is looking at the screen, but it's as if she isn't really seeing anything. _'She must be lost in thought.'_ Sun realises. _'I guess that's to be expected.'_

" **But that's a secret, okay?" Sun stresses this point to his friend.**

 **Neptune agrees "Got it."**

 **Sun leans in close in order to stress the importance of this secret. "And not a, I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back secret, I'm talking secret secret."**

"Does Neptune often give away other people's secrets?" Weiss asks.

"Nah, he's cool with it." Sun replies. "I just wanted to be sure."

" **Whoa, chill out, man, okay? I got it." Neptune says as he and Sun come to a temporary stop. "I got it."**

" **You better. I just don't want to screw this up, you know?" Sun continues walking, with Neptune alongside him. "The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys."**

"Well it's nice to know you have such a high opinion of us." Pyrrha smiles. _'Especially when you say it, wanting to be friends with us.'_

 **The perspective now shows the windows into the cafeteria where food is being splattered onto the panes as students run around. At one point, Jaune is the one splattered into the window.**

"How did I not notice that." Sun laughs. "It not as if it wasn't obvious."

Jaune nervously chuckles. "I could have certainly done better in defending myself."

"Don't feel to bad." Ruby speaks up. "Not many people can stop Yang when she's on a rampage."

" **None taken." Neptune says.**

" **They're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?" Sun asks his teammate.**

" **Dude." Neptune comments, making it clear that the answer is obvious.**

 **The camera pans up from Neptune's feet to his face. Neptune's teeth gleam as he smiles.**

"How does he do that?" Jaune asks, sorta jealous.

"I asked him once." Sun says. "His answer was that he has no idea. It just happens for some reason."

' _That's unfair.'_ Jaune thinks.

Noticing Jaunes downlit face, Pyrrha has her own inner monologue. _'You shouldn't try to act like someone else. I think your amazing the way you are.'_ She doesn't say it out loud as now doesn't seem like an appropriate time.

" **Good point." Sun nods his head at this.**

 **Sun and Neptune now enter the cafeteria where students are heard screaming in terror.**

" **Food fight!" Several students yell as they stampede out the door, leaving the cafeteria in a hurry. Neptune looks around in surprise and worry, meanwhile Sun looks at all this and smiles in excitement.**

"You could have joined us." Nora makes a redundant offer. "It would have been great to have a wild card involved."

"I didn't want to intrude." Sun answers. "You had your teams and I didn't want to upset the balance."

"Plus it's not as if he would be on our side." Ren points out.

"You got me there." Sun grins.

" **Ahahahaha!" Nora gives a maniacal laugh from the top of a makeshift fort made from tables. The rest of team JNPR are shown to be stand around on different levels of the fort.**

" **I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" Nora sings.**

 **Ruby stomps her foot on a table and pointing at Team JNPR. "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" she crushes a carton of milk in her hand. "It will be delicious!" She raises her fist in a battle cry.**

"" **Yeah!"" the rest of team RWBY raising their fists in support simultaneously.**

""Yeah!"" Ruby, Yang and Weiss cheer alongside their counterparts.

" **Off with their heads!" Nora declares as she jumps down from the top of her tower, and the food fight begins.**

 **Ren jumps the side of a tray holding watermelons, launching them in the air. He then kicks them in the direction of the opposing team. Jaune throws another watermelon as he performs a front flip, Pyrrha throws a couple of watermelons and Nora upturns a table stacked with the fruit, causing a barrage of watermelons to head directly for team RWBY.**

Team JNPR and Sun are now also getting excited about watching this.

' _Everyone's so excited.'_ Blake thinks. _'But that doesn't change the fact that Tukson is still…'_

" **Yang! Turkey!" Ruby gives orders.**

 **Yang rolls over to the turkeys and sticks her fists inside them, proceeding to block and punch the melons as they speed toward her. Eventually Blake joins in, attacking the incoming projectiles with a couple loaves of bread that she uses as swords.**

 **Yang punches forwards twice, sending the turkeys flying towards team JNPR until eventually hitting the team leader.**

' _How did I never find out.'_ Blake wonders. _'All this time I thought he had gone to Vacuo like planned.'_

 **Blake jumps in on the offensive, attacking Pyrrha directly. Pyrrha uses a similar weapon to fight back, and forces Blake to use her semblance to avoid any damage. Eventually Pyrrha is able to catch Blake of guard and send her flying back to the other side of the cafeteria.**

 **Pyrrha throws several baguettes as if they were spears, aiming at Yang. The blond is able to block the first couple, but is knocked to the floor by the third one.**

' _Why wasn't it on the news?'_ Blake thinks. _'Someone must have found the body by now. And the media wouldn't overlook such a big story.'_

 **Ruby skids forwards, riding on a tray across the tables. She eventually does a jump so that she can pick up her tray and use it to send one of Pyrrha's baguettes back at her, but this is narrowly dodged.**

 **Ruby continues riding the tray until she arrives in front of Pyrrha and uses the tray as a platform to jump of when it slams into the champion.**

 **With Pyrrha now knocked down, Ren and Nora head forwards for the frontlines of the fight.**

 **Weiss is able to interrupt Ren's charge by spraying ketchup on the ground in front of him, causing him to fall over and skid into a stack of tables.**

' _Perhaps Torchwick sent someone to hide the evidence later._ ' Blake thinks. _'No… More likely the Vale council decided to cover it up to avoid a panic. I remember them trying to undermine the White Fangs actions for the same reason, though Adam had different ideas about why they did it.'_

 **Nora uses one of the flying tables to get a boost, so she can jump up to grab a pole hanging from high up. As she falls back down to the ground she stabs the pole into a watermelon, creating a makeshift hammer. Nora uses this new hammer to strike at Weiss, but Ruby gets in the way, blocking the attack with her own body. This sends the young girl flying away from the frontlines.**

 **Weiss steps in and grabs a swordfish, using it as a rapier. She lunges at Nora who is launched back by the attack, but quickly jumps back into the action.**

 **Weiss parries a couple of attacks from Nora but eventually gets knocked into a pillar that crumbles and falls due to the force. The impact knocks Weiss out and she almost gets crushed by the falling pillar, but luckily Ruby recovers just in time to get her out of the way and then holds her in her arms as the pillar collapses around them.**

" **Weiss, Weiss! Don't leave me! Nooo!" Ruby fake cries as she cradles Weiss in her arms.**

Many of them laugh at Ruby's fake drama, even Ruby herself.

"That was a lot of fun." Weiss admits.

Amidst all the laughing and fun that everyone has, Sun is the only one to hear Blakes quiet whispering. "How can everyone act like this?" For some reason the screen ignores this and continues even when another conversation is going on.

 **Ignoring this, Yang jumps back into the action, reclaims her turkey fists and runs at the team JNPR fort. Ren responds by grabbing some leeks and uses them as daggers to block a kick from Yang.**

"You're referring to what happened to Tukson?" Sun asks, quietly so no one else can hear.

 **Yang and Ren then engage in a flurry of blows that results in Ren being uppercutted into the air and then sent back to the ground with an overhead punch.**

"Five minutes ago everyone was horrified, how can everyone look past that so quickly?" Blake asks in a soft but worn out voice.

 **Nora joins in the battle again using her pseudo hammer to send Yang flying into the air and through the cafeteria roof.**

"We're going to talk about that later." Sun answers. "And I think we all need this right now."

The others are all laughing and cheering, so they can't hear the conversation. Despite this the video doesn't halt, as if knowing that it shouldn't interrupt the flow.

 **Blake dodges the falling rubble from the roof with a backflip and then picks up a string of sausages that she uses as a whip to hit Nora into a soda machine.**

"But everyone's ignoring it. Overlooking our hardships to focus on more pleasant things." Blake isn't just talking about the present situation.

 **Nora picks up the sodas that cascade out of the now broken machine and uses them as grenades that Blake struggles to avoid getting hit by.**

"It's not like that. Everyone understands, otherwise they wouldn't have reacted the way they did before. But we need a clear mind if we're going to solve anything." Sun explains.

This strikes a chord with Blake. Remembering the things she's seen good people do in the heat of the moment. And the excuses they use later, leading them down a dark path.

 **Now noticing the soda cans all around her, Pyrrha uses her polarity to send them at Blake as a torrent of incoming attacks. Blake cannot dodge these as they are coming at her too fast and covering her routes of escape like sand in a sandstorm.**

' _This was fun.'_ Blake recalls, a smile slowly forming on her face. _'I should say something to join in, though I guess now isn't the time.'_

 **As Blake is sent out of the battle Ruby gets up from her previous position and looks at her enemies, now all standing, with confidence and determination.**

' _I should say something now.'_ Blake realises. _'I won't get another opportunity after this.'_

 **Ruby crouches down and then whizzes forwards at the JNPR members, using all the powers of her Semblance.**

"Go Ruby!" Blake joins in on the fun, cheering and making congratulatory noises along with the others.

None of the others seem to notice this, to caught up in their own antics. That is with the exception of Sun, who grins as he joins in too, and Yang, who glances over for a moment then looks back to the screen, breathing a sigh of relief.

 **Ruby moves so fast that wind follows her, causing the sodas from Pyrrha's previous attack to change direction, as well as many miscellaneous food items that haven't been used yet.**

 **Ruby spins like a tornado as she reaches her current top speed. For a moment she is no longer a girl, but a collection of rose petals covered by a red hood.**

' _Is that really what I look like?'_ Ruby's eyes light up, meanwhile her body continues to jump up and down in excitement.

 **The wind Ruby causes is so intense that the members of JNPR are sent flying into the wall behind them as Ruby comes to a sudden stop and jumps out the way of the incoming food avalanche.**

 **Soda and food cover the unfortunate team as they are still pressed against the wall and covered so much that they can barely be distinguished from the now brightly covered wall they are up against.**

 _'I think that was actually the first time I lost to someone my age.'_ Pyrrha realises. _'Younger in fact. It was certainly the right choice to come to Beacon, in other schools I would always be the black sheep due to my superior abilities.'_ She can't help but smile from the deepest part of her heart after thinking this.

 **Team JNPR slides off the wall, leaving only their outlines, and a pattern that could almost be found in a museum.**

" **I love these guys." Sun comments from the cafeteria front door, having seen the entire thing. The perspective pans right to show that Neptune is drenched with soda and is not pleased.**

Nora laughs. "How did he get hit but not you!?"

"It's because someone…" Sun gives a knowing glare back at Nora. "…decided that throwing around soda cans was a good idea."

Sun continues to glare as Nora chuckles sheepishly. "I wonder who that could have been."

Sun stops glaring as he bursts into laughter. "You should have seen the look on his face! He kept complaining about it getting in his hair all the way back to our dorm room!"

 **The doors behind Sun and Neptune open and Glynda enters the room growling. She proceeds to use telekinesis to re-organize the room, even removing most of the soda stains from JNPR.**

" **Children, please." The view zooms in on Glynda's face as she adjusts her glasses. "Do not play with your food!"**

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it." Blake comments. Now fully dedicated to enjoying herself.

 **Nora burps aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBY try and fail to compose themselves. A screaming Yang then crashes from the ceiling into one of the tables and they all laugh at the situation.**

"Did it really take that long to fall?" Jaune asks.

"Never underestimate my strength." Nora flexes her muscles. "I'm the strongest person here."

"Other than Yang when she uses her Semblance." Ruby reminds her.

 **Glynda grumbles at this. Until Ozpin approaches and places a hand on her shoulder. "Let it go."**

 **Glynda sighs. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."**

Weiss notices this, and her mind goes racing. "Erm… am I the only one who thinks that might not just be referring to us becoming hunters."

The fun atmosphere suddenly dies down, replaced with a serious one.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

Weiss pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. "This is just an idea, but what if Ozpin is part of a group dedicated to preventing war."

"W-what do you mean?" Ruby asks nervously. "We're in a time of peace."

"I know." Weiss agrees. "But it wouldn't surprise me if there is a group that exists for the purpose of keeping it that way."

"And Qrow is part of it?" Yang asks.

"It would make sense." Weiss says. "And the reason he warned Ozpin about Cinder is because they learnt about a group that may endanger that peace."

"It's hard to believe that an anarchist would be able to plan something like this." Pyrrha says.

"I didn't say she wants war." Weiss explains. "Just that her actions could be considered a threat to peace. For example, involving the White Fang could cause another Faunus War."

"They wouldn't go that far." Blake tries to defend them. "At least, not enough of them to start a war."

"Either way it's a threat." Weiss points out. "And if I'm right about Ozpin then that's more than enough reason to try to stop them."

"Wait…" Jaune makes a confused expression. "How does this." He points at the screen. "Relate to what you just said."

Weiss waits for them to brace themselves for what she has to say next. "They could want to recruit us when we graduate."

Everyone takes some time to understand what this means, and their own opinions of it.

"But why?" Someone ask.

Everyone turns to the person in question.

"Why wait until then?" Ruby asks. "We've already been working for them by going to Mountain Glenn. So why not tell us everything now? I'm sure everyone here would agree to help them."

As everyone tries to come up with their own explanation, the video starts playing again.

" **And they will be, but right now they're still children." Ozpin reminds Glynda. Team RWBY are shown laughing together and Yang even gives a thumbs up to the teachers. "So why not let them play the part?" Ozpin then walks away from Glynda and towards the cafeteria doors. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."**

"So that's why." Yang realises. "They want us to be able to properly enjoy life until we're ready." _'I guess I understand.'_ She looks over to Ruby.

By this point, everyone is convinced by Weiss's theory.

' _What have I gotten myself mixed into.'_ Sun sighs, he doesn't feel like he's a part of this, just a visitor who happened to get invited.

 **The scene shifts to an old warehouse where members of the White Fang are moving crates as Emerald and Mercury enter the building.**

' _Them!'_ Blake narrows her eyes in anger. But unlike before, she is now prioritising the future, instead of letting emotions of the past blind her.

 **The White Fang seem to be offloading the crates from a Bullhead and storing them in a big pile.**

" **Oh, look! She sent the kids again!" Torchwick notices the teens. "This is turning out just like the divorce!" He approaches the two from behind and wraps his arms around them in a group hug.**

"I'm guessing that's a joke… right." Jaune asks.

"Obviously." Weiss states.

 **Emerald shivers in disgust. "Spare us the thought of you procreating." She and Mercury then force there way out of Torchwick's grasp.**

"They don't seem to get along." Ruby notices.

"They likely only work together because it benefits them." Weiss explains. "People like that rarely have any level of friendship."

" **That was a joke." Torchwick then reveals the piece of paper Emerald had before. "And this... just might tell me where you two have been all day.**

" **What!? Agh..." Emerald checks her pockets, wondering how she lost it.**

"So he wasn't the one who sent them." Blake deduces. _'We need to know everything we can if we're going to catch them.'_

" **I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." Torchwick holds up the piece of paper to look at it. "Why do you have this address?"**

" **Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald gives a snarky response.**

" **Yeah, I would." Torchwick says bluntly "Now where have you been all day?"**

" **Cleaning up your problems." Mercury says, "One of them, at least."**

' _Tukson was trying to escape in order to get away from the things they were doing with Torchwick.'_ Blake deduces. _'When Torchwick found out he decided to… cut loose ties. Emerald and Mercury went ahead and took it upon themselves to do it for him.'_

" **I had that under control." Torchwick grimaces.**

" **Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise." Mercury says.**

" **Listen, you little punk." Torchwick points at Mercury accusingly. "If it were up to me, then I would take you and your little street rat friend here and..."**

" **Do what, Roman?" Cinder's voice interrupts.**

' _It's her.'_ Ruby thinks. _'The one responsible for everything.'_

 **Cinder appears on a platform above them. She steps onto an automated lift, riding it down to their level.**

 **Roman laughs nervously. "I'd, uh... not kill them?"**

" **Cinder!" Emerald says excitedly.**

" **I thought I made it clear that you would eliminate the would-be runaway." Cinder walks to Torchwick, ignoring Emeralds attempt at approaching her.**

"Emerald seems to be on good terms with Cinder." Jaune points out.

"Or at the very least Emerald looks up to Cinder." Weiss agrees. "We can't assume that it goes both ways though."

 **Torchwick responds "I was going to..."**

" **He was going to escape to Vacuo!" Emerald refers to Tukson. "Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat."**

Blake tightens her fists, now very angry at them again.

Sun notices this and puts his hand on her shoulder in a comforting notion.

Unlike last time. Blake now notices this and looks up to Sun. "I'm fine." She says, putting on a light smile.

" **I think he was some sort of cat, actually." Mercury points out.**

" **What? Like a puma?" Emerald asks.**

" **Yeah, there ya go." Mercury agrees.**

" **Quiet." Cinder demands "Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?"**

 **As Cinder speaks, Roman points a finger at the pair while laughing in agreement.**

" **I just thought..." Emerald tries to explain.**

" **Don't think... obey." Cinder instructs.**

 **Roman uses his fingers to mime having a slit throat.**

"It seems Weiss is right once again." Pyrrha says. "She likely only thinks of them as pawn for her to use, just like Qrows message said."

' _Just like my father.'_ Weiss realises. _'The only real difference being that they openly commit illegal acts.'_

" **Yes ma'am. It won't happen again." Emerald apologises.**

 **Cinder then turns to Roman "And you. Why wasn't this job done sooner?"**

" **Uh..? Eh..?" Torchwick indicates to crates his right. "Eh..?" He indicates to even more crates to his left. "EHHHHH!" He indicates to the mountain of crates behind him. "Sorry if I've been busy stealing every speck of Dust in the Kingdom!"**

"That's an outrageous amount of Dust." Sun admits.

"It's not necessarily as big as you think." Weiss points out. "The larger crates probably have smaller storage inside them, and some those are probably only barely full since they contain spaciously packed bottles or Dust crystals that are kept separate for various reasons."

"Sill a lot of Dust though." Sun says.

 **Mercury makes a remark. "You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a ski mask." Emerald laughs at this.**

' _Urgh.'_ Yang thinks. _'For a moment I was considering laughing. Almost forgot who it is that's saying it.'_

" **Look around, kid. I've got this town running scared!" Torchwick explains. "Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting pretty on an old warehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and rounds than we know what to do with! Speaking of which, if you guys wouldn't mind filling me in on your grand master plan, it might actually make my next string of robberies go a little smoother!" He emphasizes the last word by clenching his fist.**

"He doesn't know!" Ruby yells. "Why would he go along with a plan when he doesn't know what it is!?"

"He could be being paid large amounts of money." Blake suggests. _'Plenty of people willing to do or overlook terrible things for money.'_

"That's doubtful." Weiss says. "The amount of money he's making would have to be more than the total cost of the Dust. And that's more than a single rich man would need in a lifetime. I actually thought it could be a rival Dust company trying to get ahead for a while. But after the Breach that seems impossible."

" **Oh, Roman." Cinder approaches the master thief. "Have a little faith." She places her hand on his face. "You'll know what you need when you need to know it." Roman seems entranced for a moment, but then looks away with a grunt. "Besides, we're done with Dust." Cinder then begins to walk away.**

"Is he… being threatened?" Yang asks. "That was clearly a show of power, so it could be that he's being threatened."

"Torchwick being threatened!" The idea never even occurred to Blake before.

"Don't get me wrong, he's still a piece of scum." Yang says. "But if he's being threatened then Cinder must be incredibly dangerous."

" **O-okay, then what now?" Torchwick inquires.**

" **We're moving." Cinder says. "Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight."**

" **Coordinates?" Torchwick asks.**

 **Cinder looks back at Roman. "We're proceeding to phase two."**

"So that's how they made their way to Mountain Glenn." Jaune deduces.

"But if the Breach was only phase two, then what were they planning to do after that?" Pyrrha wonders.

"And how would phase two even benefit them." Ruby says. "It's not as if letting Grimm invade the city has many uses. If anything it would make their plans harder."

 **Cinder, Mercury and Emerald begin to walk away. Roman attempts to light a cigar, but realizes he can't find his lighter. He looks up to see Emerald holding it while sticking out her tongue out defiantly.**

"So that's it then?" Nora asks. "End of the video?"

 **The screen fades out, and a new opening plays.**

 ** _"There's a point where it tips. There's a point where it breaks. There's a point where it bends, and a point we just can't take, anymore."_** **The camera closes in on Beacon Academy as rose petals gently fall from the sky. A pair of silver eyes are seen in the background, opening to look forth.**

"Seems not." Jaune says. "Instead we have a new opening to watch."

' _Silver eyes.'_ Ren notices. _'perhaps they have a bigger role then we though, or it could be symbolism to Ruby seeing things.'_

 **In the school courtyard, Ruby stands alone, her eyes closed, and head faced down; her red cape and rose-petal aura flutters in the wind. Suddenly, she is not alone: Weiss, Blake, and Yang are in similar stances, manifesting their own auras: snowflakes, shadows, and embers respectively as white flames consume the buildings.**

"It's still about team RWBY!" Nora complains. "I don't want to be an extra!"

 **Ruby finally looks up into a sky with an inverted colour scheme: black moon, white sky. The four girls look on as their beloved Beacon dissolves into nothingness.**

"That could be bad." Jaune says. "But who knows, the last opening didn't have all the events actually happen in any way."

 ** _"We can't just wait with lives at stake."_** **The white oblivion turns to night, and from the full moon falls Ruby, descending towards the planet through layers of clouds. She quickly gets her bearings and spreads her limbs to slow down, petals spiralling around her.**

' _It always seems to show Ruby as the hero.'_ Weiss notices. _'But what's so special about her? She's great but is there a physical reason for it?'_

 ** _"Until they think we're ready."_** **Upon Ruby's manoeuvre, giant black gears rain from the heavens and form into a large clockwork window at the Tower of Beacon, where Ozpin stands with his cane.**

 **A flurry of autumn leaves summons Pyrrha overlooking Beacon, in a familiar stance with her head bowed and eyes closed until a gloved hand clasps her shoulder. She turns and smiles at her leader, Jaune, as the rest of Team JNPR, Lie and Nora, are right there beside her.**

"There we are." Nora says happily. But by the time the video pauses the scene has already changed.

 **Flashes of team CRDL, SSSN and CFVY appear but quickly disappear. This is immediately followed by flashes of Ironwood, with his human and robotic soldiers, and penny standing nervously near them. The next flash is of the teacher of Beacon, standing proudly in front of the school.**

' _Penny relates somehow to Ironwood.'_ Ren realises. _'I suppose it makes sense, given how she's from Atlas. But there must be something more to it.'_

 **Cinder, Emerald, Mercury and Torchwick now appear, walking forwards. A burning city is shown behind them.**

 **The flames of a jump cut show a snowy Cliffside Forest featuring many species of Grimm, from Beowolves to Ursai and even Death Stalkers until their numbers become a blur.**

"We can take them!" Nora yells, referring to all the enemies they may have to face in the future.

 **Ruby is still falling through the air, but when she looks to her sides, Yang, Weiss, and Blake are right there descending at the same speed, joined immediately by a multitude of other characters. They streak towards the city of Vale until Ruby lands in a crouch that decimates the stone beneath her, followed quickly by her teammates of RWBY, three members of JNPR, and more. Pyrrha is the last to land, dust from the impact blacking out the screen.**

"Has anyone here skydived before?" Sun asks. Only to receive a bunch of no's and shaking of the head.

 **Suddenly, the fiery-haired champion, now dressed in monochrome Armor, is fighting one on four against CRDL, each surrounded by a colour over their entire bodies, in a white amphitheatre. She deflects the single sword of a yellow Dove with her own blade Miló before transforming it into her rifle proceeding to shoot him, then quickly transforms her rifle into the blade to knock away the green Russel before his double daggers can reach her. She defends herself with the shield Akoúo̱ from the blue halberd of Lark while clashing against the red mace of Cardin with her sword, but quickly shoves Lark away and slashes her weapon against the losing team's leader.**

"That I remember happening." Ruby says. "You took them all down four on one, and even beat Mercury afterwards."

"Thank you." Pyrrha smiles. _'But he was probably holding back, he put up a very good fight before surrendering.'_

 **Cinder looks up from her repose with flames burning over her right eye as she stares at the giant winged airships ascending from the castle she is perched on and slowly flying into the night.**

 **Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang charge with weapons drawn down the lane of Beacon towards the amphitheatre and the group of villains at its foot awaiting their attack. Mercury leaps forward, knocking his greaved foot against the flare of Yang's Ember Celica.**

"So I can expect to fight Mercury." Yang grins. "Bring it on."

 **The perspective changes to Weiss, who narrowly dodges the dual weapons of Emerald in a dark room, deflecting each of her foe's strikes with Myrtenaster...**

"Perhaps not, I doubt I'll be fighting Emerald any time soon." Weiss says.

 **Next Blake, wielding both parts of her Gambol Shroud, is shown fighting against Torchwick and Melodic Cudgel in the middle of Vale, whipping their weapons around as they attack...**

"I've already fought Torchwick, so no surprises there." Blake says.

 **Before the transitions end with Ruby at the front of Beacon, swinging Crescent Rose against the weaponless Cinder and jumping back to avoid the blaze from her opponent's hands, only to charge again.**

"And I've fought against Cinder." Ruby says. "Though she was wearing a disguise at the time."

 **As she runs through the columns, Ruby's image shifts to Weiss, then Blake, and lands on Yang until she punches forward, Blake coming out of the blonde with blades slicing, Weiss jumping out from the Faunus to raise her rapier, and their leader emerging last to slash once more with her sniper-scythe until the camera zooms in on her silver eye, and the screen fades to black.**

"And that's the end." Nora says. "This time for real."

"So how was your first video with all of us?" Jaune asks Sun. "I'm sure it must have been quite interesting."

"It was great!" Sun answers. "I had a lot of fun seeing the food fight. The only part I didn't like was…"

That last part goes unsaid. They all know what he's talking about.

"We need to talk about it." Blake says. "We've put it of long enough. But now is the time."

"What's there to say?" Yang asks. "It was horrible, and we need to stop them as soon as possible."

"But think about what it means." Blake urges them. "If we've seen that, then what can we expect in the future. Who knows how bad it could be."

"And we can deal with it." Ruby says. "The note clearly said that we'll be able to change the future. So that means we can fix anything bad that happens."

Blake gives a tired expression as she gets up. "I'm going to bed. I don't think I can handle any more for today."

As she leaves, no one decides to stop her.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Video likely relates to food fight

Starts with Emerald

Emerald going to a unknow place, XXXmust go back to read laterXXX

Mercury joins

Emerald is a thief, very experienced thief

XXXBlack market deal?XXX

Bookshop, Tukson's Book Trade

Blake knows Tukson, says he is good, member of White Fang

Emerald and Mercury seem like Tukson's enemies

Tukson tried to leave White Fang, XXXpresumablyXXX killed for it

Video's may show extreme violence and grotesque things

Food fight happens

Ozpin's group created to prevent wars (?)

Qrow part of same group

Cinder's actions threaten to cause war

Ozpin wasts to recruit us into the group later (?)

We're too young for the group, given opportunity to be children

Emerald and Mercury at a warehouse

White Fang moving Dust cargo

Relationship between Torchwick and others is very weak

Emerald and Mercury attacked Tukson of own accord

Cinder appears

Emerald looks up to Cinder, Cinder sees her as pawn

Torchwick doesn't/didn't know master plan, not being bribed

Torchwick being threatened (?)

Cinder more dangerous than previously thought

Phase Two is Breach, what was phase 3 meant to be?

How they benefit from Breach?

New opening

Silver eyes still important (?)

Penny relates to Ironwood (?), does Ruby know?

Yang vs Mercury

Weiss vs Emerald

Blake vs Torchwick, already happened

Ruby vs Cinder, happened with disguise

Expect more violence in the future

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Did you know that in the transcripts the food fight is described using only two (not very long) paragraphs. This isn't including lines of spoken word. I had to write almost the entirety of the fight because the two paragraphs have very little detail. So what did you think?**

 **Correction. The transcripts for the food fight are found somewhere else, by the time I found them there was very little more to write.**

 **I also added an extra scene that was originally planned to be in the show but was never made for some reason. It shouldn't be hard to figure out what this is. Are there any extra scenes that you think they should react to but aren't in the show (but definitely did happen). Be sure to have them make sense, the one I added was for the purpose of having a stronger reaction from the viewers.**

 **I plan on having all FAQ's on my Profile page. Also updates on the status of the Fanfic. If you have any questions that you think need answering, then please let me know as well as anything that you think I should put up.**

 **##Possible Spoilers##**

 **I also have plans to have Yang find a copy of Ruby's note from the Volume 4 finale. The note will be partially censored so that some details can't be figured out. I say this now because I'm unsure about this decision. So to make sure it's not heavily unwanted I will be doing a poll on my profile (this is also a test to see if I understand how to make a poll). Even if the result is people vote for it not appearing I may still have it happen If I feel the Backlash isn't large enough. This is my story and I would like to write how I feel fit as long as it is entertaining.**


	18. V2: C2: Welcome to Beacon

**A/N**

 **I am proud to announce the outcome of the poll**

 **23 for (one of those is me)**

 **4 against**

 **As a result, Yang will get the letter. However, let it be known that I would like to hear people's opinions on the problems that may occur. Yang will be keeping it secret however the reason for it is shaky at best. I simply couldn't have her share the letter though, for the sake of the story.**

* * *

When Yang got up she had already gotten used to the strange situation she and the others had found themselves in. While she admits that the circumstances are bizarre, she has no intention on dwelling on it too much, better to leave that to people like Weiss or Ren.

After a relatively brief shower she decided to work on some morning training. They had already decided the day before that they let everyone have the morning as free time, possibly to give them time to think about things, but also so that everyone could stay in shape.

Something unusual happened though, when she arrived in the training room she had claimed as her own.

In the middle of the floor lies an envelope, one that Yang distinctly recalls not being there before.

' _Did someone leave this for me?'_ Yang thinks as she walks over to pick it up. _'Why not just speak to me directly?'_

One Yang has picked it up though, and looks at the writing on the envelope, she suddenly freezes.

 **You never received this in the future, so take it now as a gift**

 **Some parts have been censored for various reasons**

The most immediate thing Yang notices is that the font is the exact same as the one they had all seen on the screen before when the person who put them here decided to contact them. _'What does this mean? Did it send this? Must have. I doubt anyone else would be able to replicate this strange writing style.'_

After that initial shock has died down, Yang has time to think about what the words mean. _'In the future? So this contains something that was sent to me in the future? Something I never manage to obtain?'_

' _There's no use dwelling on it.'_ Yang thinks as she opens the envelope finding a letter. She quickly decides to read the letter.

 ** _Hey sis, I hope my letters have been reaching you and ###._**

"This must be from Ruby." Yang mutters, recognising the handwriting. "But why would she be sending letters when the CCT is far more reliable." _'And what the hell with the black strip? I guess that must be the censoring that was mentioned. But who is mentioned? It must only be one person given the space.'_

 ** _Hand-written stuff's never been super reliable, but ############################._**

' _So there is a reason.'_ Yang realises. _'But I'm guessing that our host doesn't want me to know for some reason. Is she somewhere without any signal? Or perhaps there's some reason that she refuses to use the CCT, like the possibility of hacking. But that doesn't make sense. Handwritten is far more likely to be intercepted.'_

 ** _Anyway, in case you haven't been getting them, I want to say I'm sorry for leaving the way I did._**

' _Ruby left!?'_ Yang clenches the note. _'There's no way! She wouldn't leave me for some reason. I must be misunderstanding something. She must have been sent of a solo mission that I didn't want her to go on. That makes far more sense.'_

 ** _I know you told me it was a reckless idea, and after everything I've been through, I can definitely say you were right._**

' _That's it.'_ Yang confirms to herself. _'That's definitely it. There's no way she would really leave me.'_

 ** _It's been hard, on all of us, and I'm not just talking about the monsters we fought out here._**

' _Us? So she's not alone. Are Blake and Weiss with her? Or possibly someone from Ozpin's group? They do seem like they might have plans to have Ruby do something.'_

 ** _Every step we made took us further and further from the things we knew. And every morning we woke up wondering, if just over the next hill would be something good or something terrible._**

' _This is bad.'_ Yang realises the seriousness of the situation. _'Ruby must have gotten herself involved in something extremely dangerous if she's talking about it like this. I've never known her to overexaggerate a bad situation, quite the opposite actually. What has she gotten herself involved in? And why can't I be there to help her!?'_

 ** _It's scary not knowing what's going to happen next. And the things we do know now, just how bad it can get, it almost makes it all worse._**

 ** _We've all lost something, and I've seen what loss can do to people._**

' _This is really, really, really bad.'_ Yang starts sweating. _'What could have happened to make her write something like this. And this talk about loss? What the hell have we lost!?'_

 ** _But if we gave up every time we lost, then we'd never be able to move forward._**

 ** _We'd never have a chance to see what beautiful things the future might have waiting for us. We'd never have the strength to change, whether it's ourselves, or the world around us._**

' _That's the Ruby I know.'_ Yang calms down. _'At least she's still her optimistic self.'_

 ** _And we'd never be there for other people who might one day be lost without us. This is what we were training for, Yang, to become Huntresses, to be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world._**

' _How far in the future could this be? Are we true Huntresses by this point? Or is she simply talking about the role they play.'_

 ** _Because there are plenty of people out there who are still lost and even more who will try to gain everything they can from their sorrow._**

' _She seems far less… naïve.'_ Yang realises. _'Whatever happens must cause a big change to her. For better or worse.'_

Yang knows she can't protect Ruby forever. Eventually she'll have to see a far more cruel side of the world if she wants to be a Huntress. But the idea that Ruby may lose her brightness, her optimism about everything. It secretly terrifies Yang.

 ** _Believe me when I say, I know it can feel impossible, like every single day is a struggle against some unstoppable monster we can never hope to beat._**

 ** _But we have to try, if not for us, then for the people ############# we haven't lost yet._**

Yang takes a sharp breath when she reads this part. _'People we haven't lost yet? We lose someone? As in, one of us is gone forever?'_ This like confirms all the worry that previous parts of the note have built up. Yang starts tearing up, just thinking about the idea.

' _That doesn't have to be the case.'_ Yang tells herself. _'Part of the notes missing so I could be misunderstanding. That has to be it. There's no way we would lose someone. We're not weak enough to go down easily.'_

Yang suddenly finds herself thinking about Jaune. The goofy Jaune that everyone get's along with. That tries so hard to improve himself. That is the weakest of them by a large margin.

' _Does Jaune die?'_ Yang starts fiddling with her hair. _'It would make sense. But there's no way that could happen. Right?'_ she can't quell the thoughts though, and in her mind, it's almost confirmed to be the truth.

 ** _I miss you so much. #####################. But I think you'd all be proud to know that I made it to #######. #############, and we even ran into ########## along the way._**

' _Damn censoring! What the hell am I meant to make out of this!? All I know is that they are headed somewhere, and they meet someone along the way! It must be someone we know though, if the tone seems so positive.'_

 ** _He's going to take us to see ##################, the ##########################. And he told us some things that you're gonna wanna hear, things I can't trust will make it to you in this letter._**

' _So there is some big secret. Them means it likely has something top do with Ozpin's group. If I had to guess, then I would say that the person they met before is Uncle Qrow, and that he's taking them to meet someone another member of the group.'_

 ** _But maybe, if you join us, he could tell you himself. With #####################################################, and I know you need to focus on yourself before I can expect you to come out with me. But it sure would be great to ############################._**

' _That first space must refer to whatever bad thing happens in the future. But more importantly, what does it mean focus on myself? Am I dealing with my own problems? What could possibly be more important to me than being there for Ruby? I would still be there for her if it meant giving up on my mother, so what's keeping me behind?'_

 ** _Until next time, your loving sister, Ruby Rose._**

 ** _Oh! Uh, PS. I'll be sure to give you the address of where we're staying in #######! I'd love to hear back from you #######, and I can't wait to fill you in on whatever's going to happen next! Now that we've made it ##########, I really think things are gonna start going our way._**

As she finishes the note, Yang gives a sigh of relief. _'At least it's still Ruby. At least she still has that shining optimism.'_

* * *

In the viewing room

Yang enters with the note stuffed inside her pocket. It seems more time has passed than she expected since everyone else is preparing for the next video.

' _How do I tell them?'_ Yang wonders. _'Am I meant to just show it to them and let them fill the blanks? But how will they react to something like this?'_ In all her thinking, she doesn't notice Sun walking up to her.

"I had a chat with Blake about… everything that happened last video." Sun says. "She seems to be fine for the most part, but if you want to have a talk with her then I can buy you a few minutes."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Yang answers without even thinking about the question.

Yang sits in her normal position and chooses to get comfortable. _'Better not to bring up something like this letter after what just happened. I'll wait until later. When everyone's more calm and I know more about the circumstances that led to this letter.'_

Once they are all sat down and prepared, they start the next video.

 **Volume 2: Chapter 2: Welcome to Beacon**

"Someone new arrives?" Pyrrha asks.

"It's a possibility." Jaune admits. "But I wouldn't read too much into the titles. Many of them seem irrelevant or pointless."

 **After the opening, the perspective zooms in on Beacon, passing a large and unnerving ship as it descends upon a landing pad. Two Bullheads fly by as the scene slowly lowers to show ant-like swarms of people on the paths around Beacon. The view shifts to the top of a tower veiled behind clouds. Ozpin and Glynda can be seen through the window into Ozpin's office.**

"Is this around the time Ironwood came to Beacon with all those ships?" Weiss wonders.

" **Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." Glynda says, in an annoyed tone.**

"Looks like it." Nora says while munching on some snacks.

" **Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man." Ozpin says as the perspective switches to an over-the-shoulder from Ozpin's, as three more Bullheads fly in. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."**

"And it's only gotten worse." Blake says. "Now it's impossible to look at the sky without seeing half a dozen Atlesian airships."

 **A chirping beep sounds repeatedly. Ozpin turns to see a hollow-message 'Access Requested' on his desk. "Come in." Ozpin says.**

 **The doors to the room open to reveal Ironwood as Ozpin approaches to greet him.**

" **Ozpin!" Ironwood cordially says, as he walks to the other headmaster.**

"Could Ironwood be a part of Ozpin's group?" Pyrrha suggests.

"It's likely." Weiss reasons. "He would be a large help in keeping the peace. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the headmasters are a part of it."

"Lionheart too." Sun's eyes widen. "I guess I can kinda see it."

"What's he like?" Ruby asks.

"I actually don't know." Sun answers. "He deals with everything at an arms width. Even distances himself from most of the teachers."

 **Ozpin stands at attention. "Hello, General."**

" **Please, drop the formalities." Ironwood speaks informally now. Both headmasters shake hands as Glynda also approaches. "It's been too long. And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met."**

"Are those two…?" The rest of Nora's question goes unsaid.

"I think so." Yang answers. "I remember at the dance I saw them dance together for a while."

" **Oh, James!" Glynda gives a personable wave and then drops all pleasantries. "I'll be outside." She says to Ozpin as she walks away.**

" **Well, she hasn't changed a bit." Ironwood remarks.**

"Of course Goodwitch would act like that." Jaune remarks. "It would actually be disturbing to see her acting flirty."

At the mention of this, several people try to imagine Goodwitch flirting. They either find that they can't do it, or that the image makes them uncomfortable.

" **So." Ozpin turns to his desk. "What in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" He picks up a mug and a kettle, pouring as he speaks. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students, for the Vytal Festival." He turns and offers the cup to Ironwood.**

"Why is he here?" Blake wonders. "You would think that he has his hands full with a military and academy to run."

"I heard that the Vale council asked him to ensure the smooth running of the Vytal festival." Weiss chimes in.

"Smooth running as in…?" Jaune asks.

"Ensuring that nothing interrupts the festival." Weiss explains. "Mostly clearing out the Grimm that are attracted to so many people in one place."

 **Ironwood accepts the cup. "Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year." He then produces a canteen from his inside coat pocket and pours its contents into his mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up."**

' _Definitely part of Ozpin's group.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Ozpin walks around to his desk, kettle and a new mug in hand as he pours himself some coffee. "I can certainly appreciate the quality time between friends, however, a small fleet outside my window has me concerned."**

" **Well, concerned is what brought them here." Ironwood says.**

' _Is Cinder really that dangerous.'_ Ruby thinks. _'So dangerous that they need the Atlesian military to help.'_

 **Ozpin responds. "I understand that travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult…"**

" **Oz, you and I both know why I brought those men." Ironwood interrupts.**

"All this is because of Cinder?" Jaune asks sceptically.

"It does seem overboard." Sun admits. "But consider what would have happened if they weren't there for the Breach."

 **Ozpin takes a drink and sets down his mug. "We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression." Offscreen, Ironwood can be heard setting his mug down.**

' _Do people really think this could mean war?'_ Pyrrha wonders. _'Surely they understand that it's all in good nature.'_

" **But if what Qrow said is true..." Ironwood urges.**

" **If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully." Ozpin emphasizes this as he holds up an index finger. "It's the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest that you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."**

"They must know something about Cinder that we don't." Yang says. "It's the only possible reason they are so cautions from a simple message."

"Yet they still don't know what she looks like." Weiss says. "Otherwise she wouldn't be able to pose as a Haven student."

" **I'm just being cautious." Ironwood explains.**

" **As am I." Ozpin replies. "Which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."**

Most of the audience smiles at this. Ren however, has his own thoughts on the matter. _'If all the headmasters are part of this group then does that mean one of the reasons they train hunters is to recruit the most skilled ones? It's possible that this group was founded by the king of Vale after The Great War.'_

" **Believe me, I am." Ironwood turns and walks away. He stops near the door and looks back at Ozpin. "But ask yourself this: Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?" He continues on his way to the exit.**

"They really think a war may happen." Pyrrha mutters. "Why do they think that? What could possibly cause a war at a time like this."

"They might be referring to the war against Grimm." Ruby says hopefully. "It doesn't have to mean the kingdoms are going to do anything."

' _This is the Ruby I know.'_ Yang thinks. _'So full of hope that the mere idea of something so bad happening seems foreign to her.'_

 **Once Ironwood's left, Ozpin makes his own comment on the situation. "I hope they never have to."**

"That's, oddly comforting." Sun says, causing the others to look at him. "At least he wants what's best for all of you. And by the sounds of it, he doesn't plan on forcing anything on you guys."

The way Sun phrases it gets Blake thinking. _'Why was Sun brought here? Is it possible that Ozpin tries to bring him in to the group too? And why isn't the rest of his team here?'_

 **The scene changes to the Beacon Academy library, Team RWBY are shown playing Remnant: The Game. The perspective pans from Weiss to Yang, then to Blake, who is obviously distracted, before finally landing on Ruby, who has been contemplating her next move.**

" **Hmmmmm... All right... All right!" Ruby points at Yang. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"**

" **Bring it on!" Yang responds, thrusting her elbow down as she balls her fist.**

"Funny how they talk about war, and the next thing we see is you guys playing Remnant: The Game." Jaune comments.

"I expect that our host is trying to create some form of symbolism." Weiss says. "Or perhaps humour?"

" **I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby slaps her card down on the table causing Yang to feign a look of shock. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" Ruby makes noises like airplanes flying and bombing as she makes a bird with her hands.**

" **You fiend!" Yang points at Ruby accusingly.**

 **Ruby is now ducked at one end of the table. The screen zooms across the table to show the board and its player pieces in detail. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." Ruby peaks her head up. She gives a look of surprise as, offscreen, Yang can be heard laughing arrogantly.**

"This is where it gets good." Yang smiles.

"You're just saying that because that's when you start winning." Ruby grumbles.

 **Yang raises a card. "Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang shows the card to the people in front of her, making Ruby visibly disturbed. "Giant Nevermore!" Yang slams the card down on the table. "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"**

 **A scene of a Nevermore flying over a field of swords impaled in the ground plays over the conversation.**

"Yet another weird use of photoshop." Weiss mutters.

 **Ruby points at Yang. "But, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" The Nevermore is shown to be turning back toward Yang.**

" **That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Yang responds as the two glare at each other. The Nevermore in the background disappears as the scene returns to normal.**

"Those dice are cursed!" Ruby complains. "I swear I never roll higher than a one when I use them."

"It's not their fault you rely on such risky manoeuvres." Yang says. "Just because you can make up for it with skill in the real world doesn't mean it works on the board."

 **Team JNPR are shown as Yang and Ruby banter on about the game. Ren is reading a large book that Nora is sleeping on the other side of. Jaune is reading a comic when Pyrrha looks up from her studying and replaces the comic with a textbook. Jaune groans as he starts to read the book while Pyrrha decides to look at the comic.**

"Someone's a bit of a hypocrite." Nora comments.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologises. "But I remember you needing to catch up on a homework, and I had been working for a while before then."

"It's fine." Jaune says. "I understand. It's not like I blame you or anything."

 **As Nora is sleeping she makes several random comment. The most legible of which is "Pancakes" being muttered.**

' _That's certainly Nora.'_ Ren thinks.

 **The scene returns to team RWBY, with its fearless reader lying on the table in tears from her complete defeat by Yang.**

" **Well, Weiss, it's your turn." Yang says.**

" **I have... absolutely no idea what's going on." Weiss admits.**

"I would have thought Weiss would be the best at that game." Jaune comments.

"I didn't understand the rules!" Weiss complains. _'I wasn't allowed to focus on such 'trivial things' before coming to Beacon.'_

"I sorta regret teaching you." Ruby mutters. "Who would have thought you would have turned out as the best player in our team."

"I know." Yang agrees. "And here I thought I could show of my superior skills."

"Your so called 'skills' are just using the most common strategy online." Weiss recalls. "With little to no understanding on why they work so well."

Yang nervously laughs at this. _'I can't really deny that.'_

 **Yang slides up beside Weiss and puts her hand on her shoulder. "Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus."**

" **That sounds dumb." Weiss responds.**

 **Yang starts looking through Weiss' cards. "See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh!" She pulls up a card to show Weiss. "Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet…"**

" **Nooo!" Ruby cries.**

"… **and put it in your hand! Yang finishes.**

"Why did you let Yang see your cards so easily? She's practically playing the game for you." Sun says.

"I was still learning the ropes!" Weiss complains. "I think I deserve a bit of leeway."

" **Okay." Weiss says in understanding.**

" **And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance against Natural-based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Yang points a finger at Weiss. "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war." She pulls away and returns to her seat.**

" **And that means...?" Weiss asks.**

" **You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby explains, still in tears.**

 **Hearing this Weiss stands, and a thunder clap accompanies her overjoyed psychotic laughter. "Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!"**

"Wow!" Nora looks in shock. "Weiss can be a bit of a…"

"Tyrant." Ruby offers.

"That's the word." Nora approves. "Glad I don't have to put up with her all the time."

"It can be tough." Blake agrees.

"I'm right here!" Weiss yells.

" **Trap card..." Yang deadpans as she holds up a card in Weiss's face.**

" **Huh?" Weiss is suddenly broken from her evil monologue.**

 **Yang shuffles the pieces on the board in her favour, Weiss' pieces disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Your armies have been destroyed." The blond announces.**

 **Weiss slumps in her chair, cries and whines. "I hate this game of emotions we play."**

"That was a quick change in expression." Yang comments. "You sure you're not bipolar?"

"I was roleplaying!" Weiss complains again. "Is everyone going to make fun of me or can we continue.

 **Ruby hops into Weiss' lap. "Stay strong, Weiss! We'll make it through this together!" Ruby's face covered in the same comical tears as Weiss.**

" **Shut up!" Weiss yells as she hugs onto Ruby. "Don't touch me!"**

Several people laugh at this.

 **Yang puts her arms up behind her head. "Alright Blake, you're up!"**

" **Oh, um, sorry, what am I doing?" Blake asks, clearly having not payed attention to the current events.**

" **You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang answers. In the background Jaune gets up and walks to them.**

" **Right." Blake answers, her mind clearly on other things.**

"Were you okay?" Pyrrha asks out of concern.

" **Hey! Can I play?" Jaune asks as he greets the other group.**

" **Sorry Jaune, we've already got 4 people." Ruby answers, now fully recovered.**

" **Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you possess." Weiss remarks.**

"Shows what you know!" Nora yells, with Pyrrha nodding in agreement. "Jaune has led us into victory more than once."

' _I have to give him credit there.'_ Weiss admits. _'I still find it hard to believe that Ozpin didn't find out about the forged transcripts. So perhaps he chose to overlook them after seeing his potential? As a leader of course, not a fighter.'_

" **Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet 2 turns ago." Yang mentions.**

"Still learning!" Weiss brings up, before anyone can say something else.

" **Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader!" Jaune boasts.**

" **By who? Your mother?" Weiss jokes.**

" **A-and Pyrrha!" Jaune defends himself.**

" **Hello again!" Pyrrha waves from the background.**

' _Pyrrha's such a friendly person.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Sometimes I wonder why I've never seen her try to contact her friends from Mistral.'_

" **Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune begs with both hands folded together.**

" **I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss holds her hand's away from Jaune.**

" **Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before." Jaune says.**

"Looking back on it. That was far more offensive than I meant it to be." Jaune says.

"It's fine man." Sun accepts the apology on behalf of Vacuo. "I know what you're referring to."

 **Jaune continues "I mean, you told us all that Blake is secretly a Fa…"**

 **Pyrrha darts over and slaps a hand over Jaune's mouth. "Fun-loving person, whom we all admire and respect."**

 **Everyone looks nervously at Blake who gives them all an annoyed look.**

"Now that I know I have to apologise for." Jaune says. "Blake, I'm sorry."

"As long as you keep is secret from now on." Blake warns him.

"I will." Jaune answers quickly.

" **Right. That. Ladies, enjoy your battle." Jaune bows as Pyrrha walks away and footsteps can be heard offscreen.**

" **Sup losers." Sun comes into the scene holding his fingers in a peace sign.**

" **Hey Sun!" Ruby greets him.**

 **The perspective shifts to show that Neptune is next to Sun.**

" **Ruby, Yang, Blake... Ice Queen." Sun goes over the members of RWBY.**

" **Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss complains.**

"Because it's fun, and your emblem is a literal snowflake." Ruby says.

"I never approved of such a nickname!" Weiss argues.

"Wouldn't be much of a nickname if you chose it." Yang says.

" **I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." Sun indicates to Neptune.**

" **Uhh, aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asks.**

" **Thank you!" Ren throws up his arms in agreement.**

"Why does the librarian even let us play board games anyway?" Blake asks.

"I honestly think she just doesn't care." Yang answers.

 **Ren's sudden outburst causes Nora to wake up. "Pancakes!" She yells, clearly still half asleep.**

"What were you even dreaming about?" Yang asks.

"I'm not sure." Nora tries to recall. "I think it may have been a world entirely made up of deserts. Hey Ren, could you…"

"No I cannot." Ren answers prematurely.

" **Shut up. Don't be a nerd." Sun says to Neptune.**

" **Geh, geh, geh, geh!" Neptune shakes a finger at Sun. "Intellectual, okay? Thank you." He waves to the others. "I'm Neptune."**

"Why couldn't Neptune come?" Sun wonders out loud. "I can't recall us doing anything individually without you guys after this point."

"Perhaps only one person can be added per volume." Weiss suggests.

"Or, it could be about something that happens in the future."

"Yeah… the future… How does that work?" Sun asks.

"We think it may have something to do with time travel." Ruby explains. "But Weiss suggests that it relates to there being multiple realities."

"Now this I gotta hear." Sun says.

"The screen once told us that there are multiple realities, so I propose that one is exactly the same as ours, but several years ahead. That's the only logical explanation for how we could see our potential future." Weiss explains.

"So… this isn't our reality?" Sun points to the screen.

"It may as well be." Weiss explains. "Everything would be the exact same as ours up until we get to the moment we were taken to this place."

" **So Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss greets him politely.**

" **Haven." Neptune approaches Weiss. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel." Romantic music can be heard in the background.**

" **Um, I'm Weiss." She greets Neptune with a smile.**

Ruby giggles profusely at the situation.

"Stop it!" Weiss orders her team leader.

" **Are you kidding me!?" Jaune whispers loudly in the background.**

' _Oh god. We still haven't gotten past that point.'_ Jaune remembers. _'And here I thought I was out of the woods after the Forever Fall video incident.'_

" **Pleasure to meet you." Neptune says to Weiss.**

 **Sun now turns to Blake. "I never took you as the board game playing type."**

" **Right, well, I think I'm done playing actually. I'll see you guys later." As Blake speaks, she shoves Sun aside and leaves the room.**

"So why did you leave?" Pyrrha asks politely. "If you don't mind me asking."

"I would answer." Blake replies. "But it would probably be a waste of time given what probably comes next."

 **Everyone looks around in confusion until Nora is the one to speak up. "Women." She shrugs as she speaks.**

"Do you know that you're making a joke when you do that?" Yang asks. "Because sometimes I'm not sure."

"Who knows?" Nora smiles back.

"She does." Ren confirms. "She knows she's making a joke."

 **The scene switches to Team RWBY's room. The perspective pans from the night sky seen through the window over to Blake as she sits with her knees folded to her chest on her bed.**

" **Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?" Blake's voice can be heard as an echo.**

Blake suddenly feels very small. This being the first-time others have been able to hear her thoughts. And very personal ones at that.

" **White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together." Torchwick's voice echoes.**

 **The sounds of battle the previous battle ensues, including slashes, grunts, gunfire, and Torchwick's laughter.**

"This was bothering you so much?" Yang asks, not having realised the full extent of her partners inner turmoil.

"It was tough." Blake admits. "But please don't read into it too much. I prefer my thoughts being my own."

' _These videos are really showing our inner struggles.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'The only ones left are Ruby, Yang, Ren and Nora. And myself and Sun I guess.'_

" **Well, this has certainly been an eventful evening." Ozpin says as the scene smoothly transitions to Blake's interrogation.**

" **Hmph." Blake looks up.**

"My interrogation." Blake mutters.

"You were interrogated!?" Nora yells.

"It was more of a report." Blake explains. "I wasn't a suspect of anything, so he just wanted to know the circumstances."

"Sounds like what happened to me after I fought the CCT woman… I mean Cinder." Ruby says.

" **I'm sure that after a night of thwarting attempted robbery, you probably just want to go home and take a nap. But, I was hoping that maybe we could have a chance to talk." Ozpin says.**

" **Of course." Blake agrees.**

' _Was there anything else I said?'_ Blake tries to remember. _'There wasn't anything too private right?'_

" **Wonderful." Ozpin replies. "As you know, in order to enrol at my academy, students must first pass a rigorous entrance exam. Most applicants spend years of preparation training at one of the many combat schools around the world. You are one of the few that did not. And you passed the exam with flying colours."**

"Ozpin must have known about Jaune." Weiss accidently says out loud.

"Wait… what!?" Jaune asks with desperation in his voice.

"It makes sense." Weiss explains. "If he figured out this much about Blake then I find it hard to believe he didn't do a background check on you. Especially given the team you're on."

"Ozpin… knowns…" This is a lot for Jaune to take in at once. "Then why am I even still at Beacon!?"

"He must have seen your potential." Pyrrha tries to comfort him. "At the very least he must have seen your dedication to improving yourself."

"I just…" Jaune pauses on his sentence. "I really don't want to think about this right now, so can we move on?"

' _If that's what you need.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can't fight, you can't survive." Blake gives a half truth.**

" **Well, you have most certainly survived, Blake. I admire your drive. And I am proud to run a school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich, poor, Human..." Ozpin sips his coffee. "Faunus..."**

 **Blake glares at Ozpin.**

' _He really does seem like a good person.'_ Blake thinks. _'If everyone had that kind of attitude then it would go a long way.'_

" **Why do you wear that bow, Blake?" Ozpin asks. "Why hide who you are?"**

" **You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your species is not." Blake replies.**

' _I never knew Blake felt so strongly about all of this.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I never even knew how bad things must be for Faunus. I always thought that people are, for the most part, good. And that the Grimm are the biggest problem in the world. I didn't know that such prejudice could be held by even relatively average people.'_

" **True, but we are continuing to take strides to lessen the divide." Ozpin brings up.**

" **With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides." Blake says. "Until then, I'd rather avoid any unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am."**

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Yang offers. "You know that if you need support, then we're there for you."

"I know." Blake smiles. _'I just don't want to force my problems on others.'_

" **And what are you?" Ozpin inquires, his tone serious.**

" **I don't understand what you're asking." Blake responds in confusion.**

" **How did you know the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight?" Ozpin inquires.**

" **I didn't." Blake shakes her head. "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."**

"Does he suspect you were former White Fang?" Jaune asks.

"I think so." Blake admits. "I just didn't want to confirm it, in case I was wrong."

"He shouldn't have any reason to think you are." Sun points out. "We just followed the Dust I overheard about, and it led us to them. It's not as if your situation aided us in any way."

" **You wouldn't have been the first." Ozpin smiles. "But what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your headmaster, but I am also a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it. Blake, are you sure there is nothing else you would like to tell me?"**

" **I'm sure." Blake nods.**

' _Ozpin clearly knows more than he lets on.'_ Blake thinks. _'But how much does he know? And why did he let me go since he clearly had his suspicions about something.'_

" **Very well. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna." Ozpin stands and heads to the door. Before leaving though, he stops and turns to Blake. If you ever need to talk to me." He waits for a moment. "Please, don't hesitate to ask." Ozpin shuts the door behind him as he leaves.**

 **The scene transitions back to Blake in team RWBY's room, the other members having just arrived.**

" **Ugh, we should have never let him play!" Yang complains.**

 **Ruby giggles. "You're just mad cuz' the new guy beat you! See, if you had just attacked when I told you none of this would have happened."**

"He cheated!" Yang yells. "I'm sure of it."

"Neptune… simply altered his strategy mid battle." Weiss says. "He understood your plan and worked around it."

 **As they enter, Blake approaches the door to leave.**

" **Stop." Weiss points at Blake. Blake's hand retracts from the door knob. "Lately you've been quiet, antisocial and moody!"**

"And that means something because…?" Nora remarks.

"Wait for it." Ruby says.

" **Uh, have you met Blake?" Yang remarks.**

" **Which I get is kind of your thing." Weiss creates air quotes. "But you've been doing it more than usual! Which quite frankly, is unacceptable! You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong!"**

"That's it." Ruby says. "That is what Weiss meant."

"Well yeah." Nora tries to joke. "I knew that."

" **So, Blake Belladonna." Weiss's tone suddenly shifts as she flips through the air. "What is wrong!?" She points her finger at Blake as the perspective is zoomed out so only her upper half can be seen.**

"What is that?" Sun asks, while holding back a laugh.

"It's actually more dramatic from this angle." Yang says.

"And less ridiculous." Ruby adds.

Weiss covers her eyes with her hand. _'What was I thinking?'_

 **Weiss is then revealed to be balancing precariously on a chair's back feet. Ruby, Yang and Blake stare openly at the unusual situation.**

"That's how I remember it." Blake smiles, getting cheered up by everyone's antics.

 **Realising the ridiculousness of her situation, Weiss quickly puts the chair away and tiptoes to stand near the girls.**

" **I just… I don't understand how everyone can be so calm." Blake explains.**

" **You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asks as she approaches Blake.**

" **Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Blake complains.**

"Something very big!" Pyrrha agrees.

"Even I stopped doing anything after the Breach." Blake says. "But we shouldn't have rested when there are still so many unanswered questions."

"Once we get back, let's do everything we can to stop Cinder and whatever she has planned!" Ruby yells.

""Yeah!"" Everyone agrees.

" **Ozpin told us not to worry." Yang says. "Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it."**

" **Well I'm not!" Blake yells. "They don't know the White Fang like I do!"**

"In the end we had to do most of the work for them." Yang says. "Guess that shows we made the right choice."

 **Weiss looks around at everyone's expressions. "Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think that you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells!"**

" **Uh, who?" Ruby asks in a confused voice.**

"Wait so…" Nora interrupts. "Blake is freedom, Yang is nightclubs, and Ruby is thieves. Right?"

"Of course." Weiss answers.

" **But let me once again be the voice of reason." Weiss continues. "We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!"**

" **Well yeah, but..." Ruby tries to object.**

" **We're not ready!" Weiss stresses.**

" **And we may never be ready!" Blake tells them. "Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." She points toward the door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!"**

"That, makes a frightening amount on sense." Sun says. "Is that why we're being showed the videos? To make sure we're ready?"

"I believe so." Ren answers. "The note did say that a catastrophe is coming. So it makes sense that our host created this to prevent it."

" **Okay." Ruby interjects. "All in favour of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... say aye."**

" **Yes!" Yang pumps her fist enthusiastically and points at Blake. "I love it when you're feisty!"**

" **Well, I suppose it could be fun." Weiss admits.**

" **None of you said aye!" Ruby looks sad.**

"I just noticed!" Nora yells. "You all decided to do this without inviting us. Why not!?"

"Err..." Ruby struggles for a reason.

"We already told Sun that we didn't want to involve friends for no reason." Blake answers.

"And I said that was a dumb reason." Sun says. "Friends are meant to be there for you. So not letting them be there for you is like saying you're not friends."

"We didn't mean that." Ruby says in hurry. "We just didn't want to force you."

"Next time feel free to ask for help." Pyrrha says. "We may be different teams, but I feel like we're all part of the same group."

"We will!" Ruby answers before Blake can say otherwise.

" **Alright then, we're in this together!" Blake agrees.**

" **Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby says.**

" **Yeah!" Yang agrees.**

 **Ruby gasps as she freaks out. "I left my board game at the library!"**

 **Weiss places her hand to her head "We're doomed."**

"How did you succeed again?" Jaune asks rhetorically. "Cause I find it hart to believe you could win with that kind of attitude."

"We pay attention when it counts!" Yang argues back.

" **I'll be right back!" Ruby runs out of the room and down the hallway, the screen following her.**

 **The sound of collision is heard as Ruby seems to slam into the screen and collapses offscreen. "Oo-oof! Oh g-!" She looks up. "Sorry. Are you okay?"**

 **The music score takes on an eerie tone. "I'm fine." A female voice is heard as a dark shaded hand offers to help Ruby up.**

"Is that… Emerald?" Weiss asks.

"Yeah…" Ruby answers in a low tone.

" **Just watch where you're going." The voice and hand are revealed to belong to Emerald, with Mercury standing beside her.**

" **Oh, right, sorry." Ruby get's up with Emeralds help. "Um, I'm Ruby. Are you new?"**

" **Visiting from Haven, actually." Cinder answers as Emerald steps aside to reveal her. Emerald turns to look at her.**

"So this is when they started pretending to be students." Pyrrha deduces.

"I still find it hard to believe that someone didn't find out about them being fakes." Blake says. "Surely someone must have checked."

"It wouldn't be too hard." Sun answers. "No one ever contacted Haven to check all the documents were legitimate. So they could have just hacked the terminals at Beacon and it should have worked."

"We need to talk to Ozpin about upping security." Yang says.

 **Ruby stares for a moment, eyes narrowed as if thinking about something. Cinder stares back.**

"You seriously never noticed." Weiss says to Ruby for the nth time.

"I never got a clear view." Ruby argues. "She was very far away during the Dust robbery, and the shadows obscuring her were really there at the time."

" **Ooh! You're here for the festival!" Ruby says with her usual upbeat tone. "But exchange students have their own dormitory."**

" **I guess we just got turned around." Mercury explains.**

"More likely they were scouting around for anything they could use." Blake says. "Or an escape route if things go badly."

" **Hey, don't worry, it happens all the time." Ruby says as Mercury and Emerald walk past her. "Uh, your building is just east of here."**

" **Thanks." Cinder walks past Ruby, gesturing in acknowledgement. "Maybe we'll see you around."**

"Oh we'll be seeing her alright!" Yang bangs her fists together.

"I get the first hit." Nora declares.

"We will deal with it tactfully." Weiss tries to calm them down. "Though I admit it will feel good to beat her.

" **Yeah, maybe!" Ruby says as the perspective shifts to show the faces of the trio as they continue to walk away. Behind them, Ruby can be seen waving. "Oh, uh, and welcome to Beacon!"**

' _So that's what the title was about.'_ Ren thinks. _'It's just as irrelevant as Jaune said it may be.'_

 **Cinder grins evilly and her eyes glow menacingly as the screen fades to black.**

" ** _I Burn"_ Plays as the video ends.**

"She is evil." Sun says. "Did you see her face. That is clearly the face of an evil person."

"I think you mean expression." Blake points out. "You shouldn't judge people by how they look."

"Of course that's what I meant." Sun agrees.

"Are we ready for the next video?" Ren asks.

Once everyone has agreed they start the next one.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Ironwood arrives

Ironwood part of Ozpin's group? , almost certain

All headmasters part of group? Leonheart very likely

Goodwitch and Ironwood together (?)

Military at Vale to clear out Grimm during festival

Cinder more dangerous than initially thought

Ozpin knows something about Cinder but doesn't have name or face

King of Vale founded the Group (?)

Academies purpose to find people for the group (?)

They think war may happen, possibly against Grimm

Ozpin desperately trying to prevent war

Unimportant library scene

Blakes inner thoughts

Blakes interrogation

Ozpin knows about Jaunes transcripts (?)

Ozpin suspects Blake?

RWBY agree to fight Torchwick

Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, all at Beacon

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I want everyone to know that the outcome of Yang getting the note shouldn't change her reaction in the moment (usually), however she may have extra thoughts relating to the note**

 **The last poll was probably a bad idea as it is very rare for people to vote against new content. To solve this, my current Poll will be on who needs the most development in my story? Vote based on necessity rather than simple measurement (Ren and Nora have least development but likely don't need much until V4)**


	19. V2: C3: A Minor Hiccup

**A/N**

 **With this chapter, my total word count should be over 100,000**

 **Unfortunately I don't feel like celebrating since very large portion of that is a story I can't take credit for.**

 **The current Poll is still open in case people want to vote now. However the results are clear, with the top spots being Ruby and Pyrrha.**

 **Pyrrha I'm surprised at since I already gave her a lot of focus, but I will do by best to include her more.**

 **Ruby on the other hand is difficult since she has so few character moments that are specific to her. And that the only noticeable way she changes in the show is to become stronger and less naïve. A also have to be very careful with her character since I know that there is a good chance rooster teeth may do something that makes any depth I give her seem OOC.**

 **On a side note, since my story is the furthest a RWBY reaction fic has ever gotten (to my knowledge). If anyone wants to start their own version, then please contact me and I will eventually send you the bold text.**

 **Volume 2: Chapter 3: A Minor Hiccup**

' _A minor Hiccup?'_ Ren thinks. _'It may be best if I look out to anything that relates to that.'_

 **The opening ends to Weiss patiently waiting out the minute left on her holographic clock displayed from her desk in the classroom of Professor Port, whose dialogue is merely background nonsense as Jaune slides up next to Weiss.**

"Oh no…" Jaune moans, realising what comes next.

Nora doesn't hear this and makes her own comment. "Professor Port really does sound like that to me most of the time."

"You mean when you're still awake?" Yang jokes.

" **So, Weiss, y'know, uh, I-I was thinking after this, maybe we could go grab a bite to eat?" Jaune turns to the teacher for a second, then turns back around.**

As Jaune cups his face with his hands, Yang decides to make a remark. "Someone doesn't seem to be feeling well."

"Leave him alone." Weiss sighs. "We've already agreed to ignore these parts."

Ruby tilts her head at this. "When?"

"It was after the first few videos." Jaune admits. "I went and asked Weiss to overlook these things. And in return I…" He stops as he notices Weiss's glare. "Never mind."

' _Well that seems interesting.'_ Ruby notices what just happened. _'But I guess it's best not to push the subject.'_

" **And, uh um, I-I've got two tickets to that new Spruce Willis movie, if you wanna make the trip to Vale. I hear it's awesome." Jaune pauses as his words have no effect. "Aaaand maybe after that, we could study together? I mean, you're smart and I'm, uh... Y'know."**

' _Why do I have to see this all over again.'_ Pyrrha internally complains. _'It was so hard on me the first time, I almost felt like humiliating her in public. Glad I didn't end up doing it. At least now I know that it doesn't lead anywhere.'_

 **Finally, the clock in front of Weiss gives a shrill beep as it changes from 3:59 to 4:00, and she dismisses it with a wave of her hand. The professor is temporarily unaware of the alarm.**

' _I know I shouldn't have been so rude to Jaune, but he was so incredibly annoying.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Every time we met he would give these cliché lines and never take a hint no matter how direct I was.'_

 **Port's nonsense continues as he poses as towering monster, about to attack. "And then I— Oh." He straightens his stance as he sees the students start to leave. "Timed that one wrong, I guess. Well, the stunning conclusion to this story will have to wait. Until next time!"**

"Is that the story on how he took out a flock of Nevermore with a single shot, or possibly the one where he defeated a Beringel with his bare hands." Sun wonders.

"You were paying attention?" Blake asks, mildly shocked.

"To the first few lectures, yeah." Sun answers. "I was interested in how the education at Beacon differs."

"And your conclusion?" Blake asks.

"You have very weird teachers." Sun says. "The ones at Haven are not nearly as crazy."

" **Weiss? Did you hear me?" Jaune asks as he watches Weiss packs up her Scroll.**

" **No, no, no, yes." Weiss answers Jaune's questions without even looking at him as she walks away.**

Ruby goes over the question in her head, making sure Weiss gave the correct amount of answers. After a short time she concludes that no mistakes were made.

 **Upon hearing this, Jaune groans and does a faceplant into his desk.**

' _Why was I so pushy?'_ Jaune wonders. _'Looking back at it, I may have taken my father's advice too far.'_

 **As the rest of Team RWBY walks out of class behind him, Yang ruffles Jaune's hair without directly looking. "One day."**

 **The scene changes to the team RWBY room and a closeup of Ruby's hands as she straps the red laces of her shoes. Switch to a closeup of Weiss' hand gripping the handle of Myrtenaster strapped to her side. Switch to a closeup of Yang's Ember Celica over her left forearm as she slides the chamber. Switch to a closeup of Blake tightening the black ribbons around her arms. Switch to full view of Team RWBY's preparations, revealing their new outfits.**

"Looking good!" Nora cheers. "Why don't you wear those clothes more often?"

"Uncle Qrow says I need an iconic look." Ruby answers.

"I broke one of the buttons." Weiss admits.

"I prefer my usual outfit." Blake says.

"The straps keep messing up my hair." Yang finishes. "And also what Ruby said."

 **Blake approaches her bunk as she tightens her wraps. "I thought that class would never end."**

"That's how it always feels." Jaune gives a light laugh.

" **Alright, guys, today's the day! The investigation begins!" Ruby declares from her position sitting on the hanging bed. She happily leaps off her mattress and onto the floor, arms raised excitedly. She almost lands on Weiss, who is on the bunk below.**

" **I'm glad to see we're taking this so seriously." Weiss says sarcastically.**

" **Hey, we've got a plan!" Yang says. "That's... moderately serious."**

"It's a good plan!" Ruby yells. "And I won't let anyone object to that."

" **Right!" Ruby agrees, looking around at her teammates. "Everyone remember their roles?"**

" **You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." Weiss says to Ruby.**

"That went well." Weiss remembers. "However, if I recall correctly, someone left me alone and ended up wandering the streets for some reason."

"You don't remember?" Ruby tilts her head.

"Remember what?" Weiss asks.

"That was when I saw Penny." Ruby answers. "We decided to catch up on a few things."

"Is this also when she told you the secret that you can't tell us?" Pyrrha inquires.

"Actually, yeah." Ruby says. "We may even get to see it now."

' _It would be good to finally solve that mystery.'_ Ren thinks.

" **The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake conveys her role.**

"Me and Blake probably had the most success." Sun chimes in. "We actually found out they were hiding In Mountain Glenn."

"We appreciate it." Ruby says. "Though you did have some trouble escaping."

"Hey!" Sun protests. "When you see what happened, you'll be impressed we made it out at all."

" **I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard..." Yang says.**

' _Yes!'_ Ruby thinks. _'I finally get to see who this person is.'_

" **Great!" Ruby agrees with everyone's plans "We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!" She pumps her fist.**

" **Yeah!" Sun cheers from offscreen. The perspective shifts right to a smiling Sun Wukong as he hangs upside-down by his tail in their open window. The whole team steps back upon seeing this.**

" **Sun!" Blake yells in surprise and alarm.**

"Why were you there in the first place?" Yang asks.

"Me and Neptune decided to give you guys a surprise welcome." Sun explains. "After hearing what you had planned, I chose to help out."

" **How did you get up there?" Yang asks.**

" **Ah, it's easy; I do it all the time." Sun casually responds.**

"That does sound quite incriminating when I think about it." Sun says.

" **You do what?!" Weiss yells in outrage.**

"Someone agrees with you on that." Nora jokes.

" **I climb trees all the time." Sun answers without reacting to Weiss' scowl. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?" He flips into the dorm room.**

 **Blake steps forward. "We are going to investigate the situation... as a team." She conveys her point clearly.**

' _They should have at least told us what they were doing.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'That way there would be someone who knows the situation in case something bad happens.'_

" **Sorry, Sun." Ruby apologises. "We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to."**

" **Psh! That's dumb! We should always get friends involved! That's why I brought Neptune!" Sun gestures out the window.**

"Everything's better with friends." Sun declares. Many of the others silently agreeing.

' _But what if something bad happens to them because of you.'_ Blake worries. _'Sometimes it's best if you don't risk hurting other people.'_

 **The girls lean out the window on top of one another cartoon-style to see the aforementioned teammate of Sun's standing outside, cool as can be.**

" **Sup?" Neptune greets them.**

"Why does he always have to be so cool?" Jaune grumbles quietly enough that no one can hear.

" **How did you even get up here?" Ruby asks.**

" **I have my ways." Neptune responds.**

 **The perspective pans out to reveal that he is standing on a very thin ledge circling the building under the windows.**

"So how did he get up?" Pyrrha asks.

"I helped." Sun explains. "And he's also surprisingly good at climbing when he needs to." _'Especially if a large body of water in nearby.'_

" **Seriously, though, can I come in? We're like, really high up right now." Neptune says nervously.**

' _There it is.'_ Jaune smirks. _'Good to know that he's not always putting up that front.'_

 **Inside the dorm room, the group are standing in a circle as Ruby lays down the new plan.**

" **Alright, I'll go with Weiss; Sun, you can go with Blake" Ruby pushes Neptune past Weiss as he slips the heiress a wink. Weiss looks mildly shocked but then comes to her senses quickly. "And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?"**

"Is he still flirting even then!?" Yang points to Neptune.

"He's always flirting." Sun waves it off as meaningless. "It's how he keeps up his cool demeanour."

"Is that so." Weiss puts on an angry expression.

"He usually doesn't mean it as anything serious." Sun explains. "It's more like a greeting."

"He hasn't done anything like that to me." Ruby says.

"That's because you're too young." Sun says. "And I already told him not to do it with Blake. As for Yang…" He thinks it over. "I'm actually not sure."

" **Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang? After all, she is your sister." Weiss proposes.**

" **But, Weiss, who would go with you, then?" Ruby asks.**

" **Well... I guess Neptune could come with me." Weiss says in a roundabout way.**

"Don't think anyone missed what you were trying to do." Yang smirks.

"She was what?" Ruby looks around obliviously.

 **Neptune puts on a suave look and points at Weiss as the team leader cracks up. "Hahaha, nah!" Ruby waves of Weiss's request.**

 **Weiss is obviously less than amused, yet is powerless to stop Ruby from pulling her by the back, out the door. "But! But!" She complains as she sticks her arms out fruitlessly trying to get back to Neptune.**

"Why did you have to do that?" Weiss complains.

"I wanted to see the tower." Ruby apologises. "I also didn't think it was that big of a deal."

' _It's a good thing Ruby decided not to go with me.'_ Yang thinks. _'I would rather her not be there when I go to a club.'_

 **The scene changes to that of a monumental tower that looms over the sparse trees growing around the crossroads below.**

" **Woooow! I forget how big the Transmit tower looks up close!" Ruby looks up in awe.**

"The top of the tower is actually the highest point in Vale." Weiss educates. "It's even higher than most of the nearby mountains."

"Once again, Weiss has answered a question that no one has askes." Nora comments.

In response, Weiss glares at the redhead.

" **You should see the one in Atlas!" Weiss says as she continues walking.**

" **That was the first one, right?" Ruby asks as she catches up.**

" **Correct." Weiss says. "Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."**

"And here we see yet another fine example." Nora says.

 **Ruby starts acting all high and mighty. "Oooh, look at me! My name's Weiss! I know facts! I'm rich." She then snorts into her hands at Weiss' frown.**

"Someone seems to agree." Blake says.

" **Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call from the library!" Weiss says.**

"Why do people go to the tower for communications then?" Jaune asks.

"It's better for sending large amounts of information quickly." Weiss explains. "You see, the further you are from the tower, the more power that is needed to…"

"We get it!" Nora interrupts. "Now can we continue the video?"

" **I know, but it's so cool!" Ruby squeals excitedly "Ooh, I'm going to take a picture!" she grabs her Scroll from a pocket on her clothes, but in her excitement, the device is launched from her hands, bouncing along the pavement until it lands at some familiar looking feet.**

"Is that…?" Pyrrha asks an open-ended question.

"Yep. That's Penny." Ruby answers.

" **Oh!" Penny picks up the Scroll and extends her arms towards the clumsy teen. "You dropped this."**

" **Penny?!" Ruby looks in shock.**

" **Uuuh..." Penny responds nervously.**

' _Something's going on with her.'_ Ren thinks. _'If it's being shown so clearly, then it must be important later on.'_

" **Where have you been?" Ruby asks. "We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!"**

" **S-Sorry. I think you're confused." Penny responds slowly, before suddenly hiccupping, throwing the Scroll into Ruby's hands. "Uh... I've got to go!" She turns quickly and walks away.**

"Was she trying to ignore you?" Yang asks. "Because that is not a nice way to leave."

"It's complicated." Ruby answers. "The video may explain it anyway."

As they get ready to continue the video, Ren is the one to interrupt. "Did anyone notice how she hiccupped."

"Soooo?" Ruby questions.

"The title was 'a minor hiccup' so it may be more important than it seems." Ren explains.

 **Weiss turns to Ruby. "What was that about?"**

" **I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Ruby starts walking in Penny's direction as she shouts back to her partner. "You go make your call! I'll meet up with you later!"**

" **Wait!" Weiss reaches toward Ruby, but seeing the futility of stopping her teammate, she lowers her hand and sighs angrily.**

"Sorry for leaving you like that." Ruby apologises. "But I needed to check on Penny to see if she was alright."

"I understand." Weiss replies. "I was simply angry in the moment."

 **The scene now follows Ruby as runs up to Penny, descending some steps as she does. "Penny! Where have you been? It's been weeks!"**

" **There seems to be a... misunderstanding." Penny responds.**

"Does she not remember you?" Blake is confused by Penny's line.

"It's not that." Ruby answers. "It was more that she was pretending not to."

"That seems like a cruel thing to do." Pyrrha comments.

"She didn't want to!" Ruby is quick to explain. "It's just that she was ordered not to talk to anyone."

' _Ordered?'_ Ren notices the use of that word. _'Could she be an important part of Atlas military? Possibly a trained soldier from birth.'_ There are some online theories about Atlas having people like that, however most of them are insane conspiracies.

" **What?!" Ruby says as Penny continues to walk away. Ruby slides down the rail next to her. "Penny... Is everything okay?"**

 **Penny continues forward without reaction so Ruby grabs her by the arm. "Penny, please stop!" Penny finally stops and listens. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me! Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night! Please... As a friend."**

"About time we got some answers!" Yang says.

"I'm sorry I can't say anything." Ruby apologises.

 **Penny sighs, then glances to her sides, cautious of the people nearby. She walks over to Ruby's side and leans in close. "It isn't safe to talk here."**

"Does she really think there are people watching her every move?" Blake questions.

"Sorta." Ruby admits. "Though in her case she may be right."

This alarms the rest of the group. The idea of being constantly watched is quite a frightening prospect.

 **The scene changes to follow Weiss, as she walks through the grand, glowing lobby of the tower with pride, avoiding the central terminal and heading straight for the elevator doors, which slide open automatically and close when she's inside.**

"So now we get to follow Weiss." Pyrrha comments. "Does anything interesting happen to you while at the CCT?"

"Absolutely nothing." Weiss declares. _'Why is this being shown, what point could there possibly be.'_

 **The voice of the CCT AI is projected from a panel near the door.**

" **Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?"**

" **I'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss requests.**

" **Absolutely." The AI responds. "Could you please place your Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?" Weiss retrieves her Scroll and places it as directed. "Perfect! Thank you, Miss Schnee."**

 **Upon the elevator's ascent, Weiss ties to put on a pleasant face, but soon sighs as she acts exasperated.**

' _So that's why.'_ Weiss figures it out. _'It's going to show the strained relationship I have with my father. And I thought it was bad enough when Blake asked about it.'_

Ruby is already catching on to Weiss's situation. _'Is something bothering her? She seems upset by something, or possibly annoyed?'_

 **Upon entering the room, the four symbols of the kingdoms are seen on a computer with clocks showing the time at each place.**

 **Weiss walks up to the front desk where a holographic secretary appears in the seat.**

" **Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit centre. How may I help you?" The hologram asks.**

"Remember when they tried to completely replace the attendants with AI." Pyrrha says, causing many of the others to shiver in recollection.

"I remember seeing one that suddenly had it's eyes disappear." Sun says. "It freaked out everyone nearby and even caused a little girl to start crying."

"You were there?" Weiss says in shock. "I remember being told about that and how the SDC had to pay a large amount just to compensate it."

"Wait, so what do they use now?" Ruby asks.

"A single person who has a holographic version of themselves appear wherever they are needed." Weiss answers.

"Much better solution then simply upgrading the AI." Yang comments. "I don't think we could trust something like that."

Ruby shivers at Yang's statement. _'Then how will she feel about Penny? She must at least understand how Penny's not like that.'_

" **I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss replies in a refined tone.**

" **Absolutely. If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through." The hologram smiles.**

" **Thank you!" Weiss smiles and nods before walking over to her assigned cubicle-like computer, passing a few Beacon students in uniform. She sits at her own display, taking a deep, unhappy breath to prepare for the call ahead.**

' _Something's wrong with Weiss.'_ Ruby realises. _'Does she not like the idea of contacting the company for some reason?'_

 **The face of a short-haired brunette appears on the monitor with the Schnee snowflake rotating behind her. She does not realize who she is talking to until she looks up.**

" **Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." The Schnee Corp Operator says.**

"Looks like someone is looking for a promotion." Nora jokes.

" **No, thank you!" Weiss pleasantly answers. "I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list."**

 **Weiss produces her Scroll, placing it into a slot on the keyboard, creating a series of noises as the Operator looks at the data from her side of the screen.**

" **I see. If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?" The Operator asks.**

" **School project." Weiss replies.**

"That isn't the best excuse." Pyrrha says. "What if your father asks to see the project?"

"There's no need to worry about that." Weiss replies. "My father has very little interest in such things.

' _Is the problem to do with her father?'_ Ruby wonders, _'That tone of voice would imply they are on bad terms right now.'_

" **Um... There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am." The Operator says nervously.**

" **Well, then, I'll be sure to treat them with care." Weiss says.**

"Seems we wouldn't have been able to get that info without your help Weiss." Yang says. "Good job!"

" **Right... Very well." The Operator still sounds nervous. "The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."**

" **Wonderful! That will be all, then." Weiss says.**

" **Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?" The Operator asks.**

 **Weiss loses her smile, but quickly replaces it. "Yes, I'm sure."**

' _What kind of falling out did she have with her dad?'_ Ruby thinks. _'Has it been going on since she came to Beacon?'_

" **Well, then... Have a nice day!" The Operator says goodbye as the call is dropped, and so too is Weiss' happy act, seen in the screen's reflection.**

' _I knew Weiss doesn't like her father, but to think it affects her so much.'_ Blake thinks. _'I think she needs space though. Better not to intrude.'_

 **Meanwhile in the commercial district of Vale, Penny stands alone near a two-story building with patio furniture and she is looking around nervously when a hand grabs her shoulder, causing her to jump. She turns to see Ruby grinning. She smiles in return. The scene moves to the two strolling down the street.**

" **I wish I could help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men." Penny answers the earlier question.**

"She really has nothing to do with it?" Jaune asks for confirmation.

"Yep!" Ruby answers. "Nothing at all."

" **Well, what happened to you that night?" Ruby asks. "We were all together, and then you just disappeared! Were you kidnapped?"**

" **Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Penny reassures.**

' _This is almost it.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Almost time to have our questions answered.'_

" **Well then where did you go?" Ruby asks.**

" **I've never been to another kingdom before." Penny explains. "My father asked me not to venture out too far, but... You have to understand; my father loves me very much; he just worries a lot."**

"Enough to keep her under constant surveillance?" Yang asks.

"Penny's… situation, makes it so that they think she has to be watched for her own safety." Ruby explains.

"I remember dad trying to use that same excuse." Yang points out.

"The situation is very… unusual." Ruby vaguely explains.

" **Believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby grins and Penny grins back. "But why not let us know you were okay?"**

" **I... was asked not to talk to you. Or Weiss. Or Blake. Or Yang. Anybody, really." Penny explains.**

"Her parents must be extremely wary of strangers." Pyrrha says.

"It wasn't her father." Ruby reveals.

" **Was your dad that upset?" Ruby asks.**

 **Penny answers. "No, it wasn't my father..." But before she can continue, she and Ruby hear the sound of megaphones announcing something**

 **The girls turn around the corner to look at the platform in the centre of a plaza where the holographic image of James Ironwood is seen before six AK-130 Androids, who are in turn standing in front of two large metal storage cases with the spear-and-shield emblem on their doors.**

" **The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" The hologram of Ironwood asks to the clapping audience as the drones take a jerky bow.**

"They aren't very good fighters." Blake mentions. "The main thing going for them is their vast numbers and lack of need to risk human lives."

"You learn this before coming to Beacon?" Yang asks, not wanting to mention her time in the White Fang out loud.

"Yes I did." Blake admits. "A good portion of my time was spent fighting those robots. Thankfully there is no need to feel remorse for a machine."

Ruby dips her head slightly at this. _'Penny's different! She has real feelings. And a soul!'_

" **But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Atlesian Knight-200!" Ironwood announces as the doors to the cases roll up, and six new, bulkier, shinier automatons stand at attention before knocking their obsolete predecessors down to the applause of the watchers.**

"The new knight haven't yet had a chance to prove themselves." Weiss points out. "I wonder if we'll get to see them in action at some point?"

"I hope so!" Ruby says. "Their design is so sleek, and they have much better recognition methods."

"Of course you would know that." Weiss says. _'Hopefully you don't know the reason for the upgraded recognition… That poor village.'_ Weiss's expression turns sad at these thoughts.

" **Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly, a little less scary." Ironwood markets the robots as they flex and pose as a demonstration.**

"The old ones did seem pretty terrifying." Jaune says. "It was always hard to look at them and think they were meant to protect us."

' _You have no idea.'_ Blake thinks.

" **These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch." Ironwood says.**

" **Ruby...?" Penny says nervously as the girl looks at the presentation in fascination.**

"I can practically see your eyes light up." Yang makes fun of her sister.

"It was interesting!" Ruby counters.

"Penny doesn't seem to think so." Nora indicates to the screen.

"That's because she's…" Ruby quickly covers her mouth before revealing too much.

' _Interesting.'_ Ren thinks. _'Is it possible that Penny already knew about the new knights.'_

 **Ironwood continues. "So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Atlesian Paladin!"**

' _I wonder how much my father had to pay to make Ironwood say that.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Most likely it was part of a previous business agreement'_

 **Ironwood's image is replaced with the hologram of a robotic white behemoth, featuring hinged piston legs, large guns for hands, and a rectangular head, standing at over twice as tall as the Knights below it.**

"Now those things I remember." Yang says. "And I have to admit, they hit like a truck."

"We still won though!" Ruby cheers.

" **Now, we couldn't have him here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!" Ironwood announces, now only a voice.**

"Oh!" Sun claps his hands together in realisation. "They must have sent those Paladins you fought for this demonstration. Then after they were stolen they were forced to just use a hologram."

"How did you figure that one out?" Jaune asks.

"When me and Blake infiltrated the White Fang meeting, Torchwick said that he stole an entire shipment." Sun explains. "Since they happened on the same day, it would make sense."

" **Whoa..." Ruby is hunched over in awe.**

" **Ruby?" Penny steps back a bit. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."**

"Does Penny not like the Atlas military for some reason?" Blake asks.

"That's not it." Ruby explains. "She just didn't want them to see her."

 **At the side of the stage, two armoured soldiers see Penny, pointing her out and calling in backup. Penny backs away and then breaks into a dead run, which snaps Ruby out of her weapon-awe-induced stupor.**

" **Penny?" Ruby asks. "Wait! Where are you going?"**

"She's a criminal!" Weiss yells.

"That's not it!" Ruby yells back.

"Then why is she running?" Weiss asks. "And why do the soldiers seem to want to catch her?"

"It's weird!" Ruby explains. "Just keep watching and you'll understand."

 **Ruby turns to see the soldiers chasing after her friend, and realizing Penny's situation, swiftly follows her in an attempt to catch up down the winding alley.**

 **As the chase continues, one of the Atlas Soldiers points his partner in the right direction. "Down here! She went this way!"**

' _What is going on?'_ Weiss wonders. _'Could she have run away from home? And now her father has sent the military after her?'_

 **Penny and Ruby run across the street with the soldiers following them. As the soldiers continue the chase, one of them nearly gets run over by a car that brakes at the last moment. The soldier manages to brace his hands against the hood, which somehow stops the vehicle, and his partner runs along after the girls.**

"That was lucky." Yang says. "I doubt a regular soldier could survive a car hit at full speed. Even with the protective armour."

 **Ruby is still trying to catch up with Penny, but a high stack of crates on a flimsy support is easily cut down by Crescent Rose, causing a wooden avalanche of boxes to block the path.**

"That must have cost someone a lot of money." Nora jokes.

"I'm sure it was fine." Ruby waves it off.

"You sure?" Jaune asks. "Because those boxes say 'Breakable Things'"

"Sorry." Ruby apologises to no one in particular.

 **Seeing Penny right ahead of her, Ruby leaps into the air and lands on the alley wall, ricocheting off to grab Penny around the middle.**

" **This way!" Ruby grimaces before the two disappear in a flash of red and rose petals.**

"You can bring other people with you when you use your semblance." Weiss raises an eyebrow.

"I can." Ruby admits. "But I prefer not to since it weighs me down. Penny was especially heavy."

 _'Just imagine how useful it could be if we train for using that as combination attacks.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Ruby dashes away as fast as she can while carrying Penny, but the strain is too great, and Ruby ends up collapsing mid-flight, causing her to fall all the way into the street while Penny is dropped off at the pavement.**

"And this is why I never use it." Ruby points to the screen.

 **Ruby gets up slowly, and in her dazed state, she doesn't notice the large truck coming up from behind her at very high speeds until the honking is too late of a warning. She stands up just as she's about to be hit, but from out of nowhere, Penny pushes Ruby out of the way and holds her palms out.**

' _Oh my god!'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Is Penny about to…'_ But her thoughts are interrupted by what happens next.

 **In the split second where the two make contact, the ground beneath Penny cracks and crumbles into pieces, and the truck is lifted a little ways into the air by the girl's sheer strength. She puts it down, and the driver stares in awe at the crumples in his hood, just like the Huntress in training who got saved.**

"What the…!" Yang looks at the events in shock. _'I'm sure I could stop a truck like that. But to do it without being pushed back a few steps… And she even picked it up while she was doing it! She must be made out of pure muscle.'_

"How is that possible?!" Sun asks. "Is her semblance impact reduction or something?"

"It's not a semblance." Ruby explains.

"Then magic?" Weiss asks sarcastically. Only to receive a shaking head from Ruby.

" **Penny...?" Ruby's eyes are wide, a terrified and uncertain look on her face.**

" **Are you okay?" Penny asks the driver of the truck, who slowly nods in amazement.**

' _She prioritised the drives safety.'_ Ren realises. _'That's a good sign.'_

 **Penny backs away, looking at Ruby's frightened expression, then at the bystanders murmuring to each other in an attempt to understand what just happened. In her panic, she runs from the Atlas soldiers still chasing her down and bumps into Ruby, knocking the poor girl out of her stupor as her friend tries to get away again.**

" **Penny! Come back!" Ruby starts going after Penny as the people look at the destruction Penny caused with her bare hands and the soldiers find they lost their target.**

' _This could be bad.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Since Penny's in the Vytal tournament, we may have to fight her at some point. And from what I just saw, I don't like our chances.'_

 **Shortly later Penny comes to a stop just outside of an alleyway, looking around for where to run next.**

" **Penny! Please!" Ruby catches up to her friend, exasperated from all the running. "What is going on?! Why are you running? How did you do that?!"**

"This is where she finally tells me." Ruby says.

This causes the others to pay full attention to the screen.

" **I-I can't! Everything's fine! I-I don't want to talk about it!" Penny starts to hiccup with each lie.**

"It's a tell!" Ren shouts in an unusually loud voice.

"A what?" Jaune asks.

"Ren… are you feeling okay." Nora asks, concerned.

"Penny hiccups whenever she lies." Ren says in his regular calm voice.

Weiss's ayes turn upwards as if doing some mental calculations. "You're right. That does happen when she lies."

' _I can't believe I never noticed.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Then again, I don't hear her lie very often.'_

" **Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!" Ruby begs.**

" **No!" Penny retreats from her friend. "No, no! You wouldn't understand..."**

" **Let me try! You can trust me!" Ruby urges.**

' _Out of everyone here, Ruby is probably the best person to put your trust in.'_ Blake thinks. _'She's so pure that I doubt she would betray anyone unless it was for their own good.'_

 **Penny finally relents, coming up to Ruby's face desperately. "You're my friend, right? You promise you're my friend?!"**

" **I promise." Ruby answers softly, but filled with determination.**

"This is it." Ruby says, slightly saddened by how her friends secret would be revealed without permission.

" **Ruby..." Penny is silent for a second, then, looking down at her hands. "I'm not a real girl."**

 **Penny shows Ruby the toll of stopping the truck that would have killed her: Parts of her palm's skin have ripped away, revealing the gray metal underneath.**

Everyone stares at the screen in silence, many with their mouths wide open.

In the end, Ruby is the one to break the silence. "That's her secret. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but I hope you all understand."

 **Penny stares sadly at Ruby's face.**

" **Oh." Ruby says in realisation.**

 **The video ends with the song _"All Our Days"_**

"How is that even possible." Weiss says. "She can't just be a robot! She's far too… Real!"

"She's the result of incredibly advanced research." Ruby explains. "Most of it being classified. But the version that I know is that a genius Atlas scientist created her and made her capable of generating her own aura. Despite everything though, she is a person. She has a soul."

"How does she even… But then how can…" Yang's questions go unfinished as she tries to fully accept what she's seen.

"Are you sure she has real feelings?" Blake asks.

"I'm sure." Ruby nods with confidence. "She's as much a person as anyone in this room."

"You're saying the Atlas military has an army of these… Penny bots?" Sun asks.

"No, she's one of a kind." Ruby answers. "Could we please not make such a big deal about it. She's more human than you think."

The others all go silent. None of them wishing to push the matter. Instead they simply think about the situation and its implications.

Out of everyone, Blake has some of the deepest thoughts. _'What does this mean? If Penny can be considered a person. This could change so much. Before it was just humans and Faunus that can be considered people, but with a new addition, we may have to reconsider what makes someone sentient. Could it be soul? But that would include even the wild animals. Then perhaps ability to communicate? But that would meant we have to include even some of the Robots without souls.'_

"Are we ready for the next episode?" Ruby asks. "Because I think Penny answers a few questions herself after this."

After a shot agreement, they start the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Port lecture (and other things)

Team RWBY prepare for info collection

Weiss and Ruby – CCT the SDC

Blake – Infiltrate White Fang meeting (with Sun)

Yang – Meet shady friend with access to information. (With Neptune)

Neptune and Sun join

Ruby and Weiss run into Penny

Penny hiccups (relates to title?)

Ruby follows Penny and Weiss continues objective

Penny part of Atlas military? , trained soldier from birth?

Penny being constantly watched?

Weiss on bad terms with family? (may be relevant later)

Penny never been to another kingdom before

Someone other than father told Penny not to talk to anyone

Ruby and Penny see Ironwoods new knight presentation

Paladins for demonstration stolen by White Fang

Penny a criminal? , Confirmed not by Ruby

Penny stops a van with bare hands, incredibly strong, unnaturally strong

Strength not a semblance or magic

Penny hiccups when lying

Penny not a real girl, she is a robot

Result of Atlas research, has her own aura. Ruby says she has soul

More answers in next video

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Through out this fic, I have been actively avoiding the word 'camera'. This is because I feel as if it may convey the wrong ideas. But if people think that it won't make a difference then it would save me some time.**

 **I struggled with the reaction to the Penny reveal, so in the next chapter I will likely have everyone ask even more questions. If you have suggestions for what people should ask or how they should react then please don't hesitate to tell me.**


	20. V2: C4: Painting the Town

**A/N**

 **I've decided to go back and put the song lyrics back in my fic. This is because after looking back on the story, the entire thing seems messy without the lyrics. As a backup though, I have a lyric free version stored on my computer. I will be swapping out chapters if I gain a complaint and can't talk my way out of it.**

 **Fun fact: The RWBY episode that corresponds to this one has the longest run time of any RWBY episode up until that point. The next episode to overtake it is V2:E11**

 **Volume 2: Chapter 4: Painting the Town…**

"What does that mean?" Jaune wonders.

"Probably a reference to the saying 'Painting the town red.'" Yang explains. "It basically meant to go on a fighting spree."

"And does that happen?" Pyrrha asks, a hint of worry in her voice.

"We fought a Paladin." Ruby says. "Don't worry, Yang was the only one to take a serious blow. And she's Yang… so there weren't any problems."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asks.

"I'm talking about your semblance." Ruby says.

"Wait… what's Yang's Semblance?" Sun asks.

Yang tries to explain. "Whenever I…"

"Stop!" Weiss yells, interrupting Yang. "I think it would be best if we kept that secret."

"Really?" Nora raises an eyebrow.

"He's going to see it anyway." Blake points out.

"Still!" Weiss declares with an unamused tone. "There is no reason to say anything."

 **The opening ends to the overhead view of where the previous video ended: In the deserted alleyway with a graffiti-marked dumpster as Penny reveals her secret to Ruby.**

" **Penny, I-I don't understand..." Ruby says.**

' _Yes.'_ Ren thinks. _'Please explain it to us.'_

" **Most girls are born, but I was made." Penny explains. "I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura." She turns her head to the side sadly. "I'm not real..."**

"So she really has an Aura." Weiss says this with an impressed tone. "How were they able to do that?"

"I don't know." Ruby admits. "She never told me, and I'm sure it's a secret she's not allowed to tell anyone."

"I suppose she would have to have Aura to take part in the tournament." Blake points out.

 **Upon hearing this Ruby takes Penny's hands into her own. "Of course you are. You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?" Ruby has a reassuring tone.**

" **I don't... um..." Penny sounds confused, and leans in close to Ruby's face. "You're... taking this extraordinarily well."**

"I'll say." Yang comments. "You certainly dealt with it better than me."

"I trust her." Ruby says. "I don't care if she's different than the rest of us. She's still my friend."

' _This feels surreal.'_ Blake thinks. _'It seems like a situation where a human defends a Faunas. But for once I truly feel like I don't have any part in the entire thing. Is this how those humans feel when they justify overlooking Faunus suffering? If so then it would be hypocritical for me not to side with Ruby.'_

" **You're not like those things we saw back there." Ruby then taps Pennys chest. "You've got a heart, and a soul; I can feel it!"**

"If she has an Aura then she must have a soul." Weiss says. "A heart on the other hand…"

"I was being figurative." Ruby responds. "I mean she has emotions. She feels joy and sadness just like anyone else."

"This does bring up a question though." Ren speaks up. "How were they able to give a synthetic person a soul? Did they somehow create one?"

"That's possible." Pyrrha nods her head. "She could also be so advanced that she passes some unknown rules that grants her a soul."

"That… seems unlikely." Nora says with a strained voice.

" **Ooohh... oh Ruby" Penny seems extremely excited and pleased as she grabs Ruby into a hug and shakes her back and forth. "You're the best friend anyone could have!"**

' _Got to agree with Penny on that one.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower!" Ruby gives a muffled groan as she struggles not to be suffocated.**

"Does she feel metallic?" Yang asks.

"She does." Ruby admits. "That hug was a bit more painful than it seems from this perspective, but it could easily be mistaken for someone wearing full body armour."

"So she's pure metal." Pyrrha asks.

"Yes." Ruby confirms. "Though she's actually made of a very special alloy, and so are her weapons."

' _Good to know.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I must keep in mind not to use my Semblance on her. Not that I ever use it to such a major extent.'_

 **Penny releases Ruby, fully back to her happy self. "Oh, he's very sweet! My father's the one that built me! I'm sure you would love him!"**

" **Wow." Ruby giggles. "He built you all by himself?"**

" **Well, almost! He had some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny admits.**

"Of course Ironwood would be involved in this." Weiss says. "He probably has plans to use the research to strengthen his army. Though I wonder why he would want soldiers that have the ability to betray him?"

"You really think he would do that?" Ruby is worried by this.

"I've met him a few times when he comes to do business with my father." Weiss explains. "I've also heard some things from my sister. From what I can tell he is a person with good intentions, but he sometimes goes to extreme lengths to gain the power to do those good things."

"That is quite worrying." Blake says. _'It would also explain his close relation to the SDC.'_

" **The General?! Wait... Is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby asks.**

" **They like to protect me, too!" Penny explains.**

"Then why was she running away?" Sun asks.

"They would have taken her away." Ruby explains. "She wanted to spend more time talking with me, and there was also a possibility of me getting in trouble."

' _I suppose there's no doubting why they value her so much.'_ Ren thinks. _'They may also be worried about her going rouge for some reason.'_

 **Ruby scoffs. "They don't think you can protect yourself?"**

 **"They're not sure if I'm ready yet." Penny says. "One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn."**

"Save the world?" Nora tilts her head. "From what?"

"I don't know." Ruby says. "She later told me it was an exaggeration, but I think I remember her hiccupping after that."

"She really thinks the world is in danger." Jaune says. "Could it be because of the increased Grimm activity?"

"That would make sense." Yang agrees. "But it could also be something to do with Cinder's group." _'It could even have something to do with whatever happened in the note. I should really say something.'_ She opens her mouth to say more, but the words escape her. _'There's plenty of time. I can tell them later.'_

 **"That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the Tournament." Penny continues.**

"Sounds like a good reason to me." Sun comments. "I came to Vale for pretty much the same reason… and to make new friends."

 **"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what?" Ruby asks. "We're in a time of peace!"**

 **Penny looks confused by this. "That's not what Mr. Ironwood said..."**

 **Off-screen, a soldier's voice can be heard. "Check down here!"**

"So Ironwood thinks the word is in danger." Pyrrha says. "It's likely that Ozpin shares the same view."

"We can't be sure." Blake points out. "It's possible Ironwood simply wants Penny to believe the word in in danger. Possibly so she tries harder in her training."

"Here's hoping." Ruby crosses her fingers. _'There's no reason things should escalate that much, right? We've already stopped Torchwick.'_

 **Penny grabs Ruby by the shoulders. "You have to hide!" She then lifts Ruby above her head effortlessly.**

 **"Penny, wait! What are you doing? You don't have to go with them! I can help you!" Ruby struggles and screams as she is carried toward the dumpster.**

"How strong is she?" Weiss asks.

"I'm not sure." Ruby replies. "She prefers not to use her physical strength unless she has to."

 **Penny throws Ruby in the trash and lifts the lid, so she can still talk. "It's okay, Ruby. They're not bad people; I just don't want to get you in trouble. Just promise me you won't tell anyone else my secret. Okay?" she gravely stares at Ruby.**

 **"I promise." Ruby nods her head.**

"You certainly kept that secret." Nora says. "Never knew you were the sneaky type."

"It certainly seems strange." Yang adds. "You never seemed to keep secrets back at home. And your poker face has to be one of the worst ones I've ever seen. Is there anything else you're keeping from us?"

"I don't think so." Ruby replies. "I only like to keep secrets when someone is putting their trust in me. Otherwise I usually let something slip by accident." She nervously chuckles at this.

' _Like how you tried to keep a cookie stash in your room.'_ Yang recalls. _'You ended up letting me, dad and even zwei, in on the secret after a couple of days.'_

 **Ruby lowers her head into the garbage as the lid is put down, but she lifts it a little to peek at the scene outside.**

" **There she is!" A soldier runs up to Penny with another beside him.**

" **Salutations, officers!" Penny greets them as if nothing is wrong.**

" **Why were you running? And what happened to the other girl?" The soldier asks.**

" **What girl? I've been by myself all day!" Penny hiccups loudly, then smiles.**

"Did they really believe that?" Jaune asks. "Wouldn't they know about the hiccupping?"

Ruby shrugs in response.

" **You shouldn't cause such a scene." The soldier says.**

" **Are you okay?" The second soldier asks, clearly concerned.**

 **Penny shows off her 'injured' palms. "Just a scratch."**

 **As Ruby looks at this conversation she smiles, glad everything seems to be okay.**

"They appear to at least care about Penny." Blake smiles. "Good to know that they treat her as a person rather than a machine."

' _Is she trying to tell me something.'_ Weiss glances to Blake. _'I suppose that is how my father treats Faunus. Though it's more along the lines of numbers on a piece of paper.'_

" **Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this." The first soldier says.**

" **Please, just come with us." The second soldier almost begs.**

" **Yes, sir!" Penny answers in a formal tone.**

 **Penny and the soldiers are heard walking away as Ruby looks on in sadness... until a rat screeches from below her feet, causing the young Huntress to fall and close the lid on herself.**

Yang snickers at this. "I'm guessing that wasn't a pleasant experience. Being in a dumpster with a rat."

"It wasn't!" Ruby grumbles. "And it wasn't just one rat. There were a few."

 **The scene changes to a ruined part of Vale, the sound of an engine gets closer and closer until a motorbike pulls into the street and stops just short of the camera, showing Yang behind the handlebars in her matching helmet.**

 **Yang takes off her helmet, and gestures with her thumb to the where music can be head playing nearby. "Come on, my friend's right in here!"**

Pyrrha recognises the music. "Don't tell me this is…"

"Yep!" Yang answers. "Back to Juniors."

"I don't think you can use the term friend to describe him." Sun comments, recalling from his catch-up session.

"I was using the term loosely." Yang admits.

 **Yang gets off the bike to reveal Neptune sitting right behind her, hair and goggles messed up with a petrified expression of terror on his face.**

" **Cool..." Neptune responds with a dizzy look on his face. He then shakes his head, somehow perfectly fixing his appearance, and gets off the cycle, looking around worriedly. "And where exactly is... here."**

"One of the most popular clubs in downtown Vale." Yang explains to everyone else. "And an excellent place to learn things that others want to keep hidden."

 **The music gets louder as the inside of the Club is show, with Junior adjusting his cuffs from behind the bar, as his Henchmen stock the bottles, carry boxes, and otherwise stand around on the dance floor, until...**

" **Hurry, close the door - she's coming!" Some henchmen proceed to roll the doors shut and keep them closed with their bodies.**

"They seem terrified." Blake says. "Though I guess that's to be expected after what happened last time."

"That was part of the plan." Yang stretches her arms. "By scaring the hell out of them, I was able to create a reliable source of information for later." _'Not that it ended up helping.'_

" **What are you two idiots doing?!" Junior asks as he walks out from the bar.**

 **One henchman ties to explain. "Junior she's here, she's back, the one with the…"**

 **But an explosion knocks him and the others to the ground and forces the doors open, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke.**

"You don't have to break things every time you make an entrance you know." Ruby berates her sister.

Yang shrugs. "I like to leave an impression wherever I go."

" **Guess who's back!" Yang strikes a pose after entering through the now ruined door. Only to be greeted by a multitude of guns pointed directly in her direction, and music being stuck in a loop.**

 **This doesn't faze Yang though, she stops and glares at the recording studio where the track is messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ takes the needle off the record and retreats back under the table.**

' _This makes Yang seem like a ruthless thug.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I suppose that's what most people would think if they saw this out of context.'_

" **Yeah, so could you define 'friend' for me?" Neptune asks from behind Yang's shoulder, as the guns are still pointed at them.**

"A person who knows me well enough to not mess with my hair." Yang answers.

' _That's a very personal definition.'_ Sun thinks.

" **Stop, stop! Nobody shoot." Junior orders as he cuts his way through the crowd of goons, straightening his tie. "Blondie, you're here! ...Why?"**

" **You still owe me a drink." Yang grabs Junior by the arm and drags him to the bar through the hired guns.**

"Yang…" Ruby glares at her sister. "What exactly are you doing?"

"It was just a soft drink!" Yang puts her hands up in surrender. _'Please don't let the video show what it really is.'_

" **Whoa-ho-ho-ho, what a woman..." Neptune looks at Yang in awe. He then breaks from his staring to see the twins Melanie and Miltia standing beside him. "Sup." He greets them.**

Weiss grasps her fist tightly. "It seems I will have to teach Neptune some lessons once we get back."

Ruby budges away from her partner in a show of fear of how menacing Weiss's expression is. _'Neptune. I pray that you will survive.'_

 **Melanie and Miltia then harrumph together. "Whatever." They walk away, noses in the air.**

 **Meanwhile at a different location, Blake's fingers trace three scratch marks on a wall before peeking around its corner and seeing a pair of horned Faunus as they are ushered into a building by a bearded man.**

"Are the scratch marks some kind of sign?" Yang asks.

"They are." Blake confirms. "They mark out White Fang meeting spots."

"Then why haven't you told the police?" Weiss demands an answer. "I'm sure it would make their jobs far easier."

"It would only work once." Blake explains. "Once they find out about the first raid, they would change the symbol somehow and use the old one to lure people into a trap. It's happened before." _'I'm also worried about what it would mean for the less violent Faunus that still work for the Fang.'_

 **Blake turns to Sun next to her. "This is it."**

" **You sure?" Sun asks, only to receive a glares from Blake who starts moving towards the entrance while unfastening her bow. "Y'know, I'm just gonna take your word for it." He follows behind her.**

 **The two walk inside the building to a hallway filled with cases, seeing another man announcing, "New recruits, keep to the right!" at the young pair as they follow.**

"Security doesn't seem so high." Nora comments.

"We were lucky." Blake admits. "We were able to slip in with people they had already verified. For some reason they then assumed we were verified with them. Before that, I was expecting to have to knock out a few guards."

"That's not what you told me!" Sun says. "You said you were confident we could get in!"

"There was no need to worry you at the time." Blake avoids making eye contact with Sun.

" **I don't get it." Sun holds out the half-mask in his hand. "If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?"**

" **The masks are a symbol." Blake explains. "Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters."**

"That doesn't make any sense to me." Ruby says. "It's like declaring yourself to be a terrible person." _'Nothing good ever comes from the Grimm.'_

"It's not something I agree with." Blake responds. "In truth, it's mainly used to create fear. Though, the vast majority of people wear it to protect their identities, and it also makes it easier to do immoral acts when people can't see what you look like."

' _It's practically a recipe for disaster.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **Grimm masks... That's kind of dark." Sun comments.**

" **So was the guy who started it." Blake puts her mask on and walks ahead.**

' _I really don't like how she looks with that mask.'_ Yang thinks. _'It's definitely not something I want to see without this kind of context.'_

" **Always sunshine and rainbows with you..." Sun follows her lead.**

 **The new recruits to the White Fang are moving in a line to the side of a stage, a mere few dozen compared to the hundreds of white-vested, black-hooded soldiers to their left and up above in the balconies. Blake and Sun look around themselves when they stop, and a fully-masked man with tattoos standing starts speaking before the large sheet emblazoned with the bloody wolf and claw marks.**

"It's him!" Weiss points to the tattooed man. "That's the man I fought against on the underground train."

"I think I remember seeing him in the White Fang before I left." Blake reminisces. "He was a Lieutenant if I recall correctly. One of the stronger ones too."

"You beat a guy like that?" Ruby says. "Well done Weiss!"

"Thank you." Weiss chuckles nervously. _'I was actually losing against him, until I got some help.'_ She glances over to Blake, who gives a knowing nod.

" **Thank you all for coming." The White Fang Lieutenant speaks. "For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for, for so long!"**

 **The dark pants and brown shoes step forward before the orange tip of the Melodic Cudgel taps on the stage. The camera pans up to reveal none other than Torchwick, smiling confidently even as the part of the crowd starts protesting.**

' _Why did they end up trusting him so much?'_ Blake thinks. _'Are they really that desperate for something to latch onto? So desperate they would trust the words of a scoundrel like him!'_

" **Thank you, thank you!" Torchwick waving mockingly. "Please, hold your applause!" As he speaks, a girl dressed in white, brown and pink walks out from behind the sheet.**

"Who is that?" Nora points to the pink haired girl.

 _'It's her!'_ Yang clenches her fist as she sees the familiar figure.

"That's one of Torchwick's henchmen." Ruby says. "She's also the reason Torchwick escaped from us that night."

"Was she ever caught?" Yang asks. "I can't remember if she was caught or not."

"She wasn't." Weiss answers. "I've heard that the police believe she ran away to Anima. But the trail runs cold from there."

" **What's a human doing here?!" An antler Faunus points at Torchwick accusingly.**

" **I'm glad you asked, 'Deerie'!" Torchwick responds. "Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the worst." He salutes as an example. "Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, killed!"**

 **Sun leaning over to Blake and whispers. "So, is he going somewhere with this?"**

"It certainly doesn't seem like the most comforting speech." Yang comments. "He's practically antagonising them."

"Wait a little bit." Sun chimes in. "He was just leading up to the next part."

 **Torchwick continues. "But, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy: the ones in control, the people pulling the strings, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms!" At these words, the crowd changes their tune and starts agreeing with him. "Government, military, even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life!" He lets the crowd cheer as Sun and Blake share a worried look. "And they're all pests that need to be dealt with! Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around... No offense to any rodents in the room."**

"So it's the common enemy routine." Pyrrha says. "Figures, that the only way he could get them to side with him is to convince them that there is someone worse."

"It does seem to work." Jaune admits, having notice the crowds change in tune. "But why did he include the schools? What has Beacon ever done?"

"The schools have a surprisingly low Faunus acceptance rate." Blake explains. "It's mostly because you need formal training in order to pass the exams, and most primary combat schools have a high fee to attend. Too much for most Faunus households."

 **With a snap of Torchwick's fingers, the curtain falls, and the whole mass of Faunus applaud at the sight of the Atlesian Paladin-290 behind it, the mark of the White Fang painted on its shoulder.**

" **Whoa, that's a big robot..." Sun says nervously.**

"Oh I would love to fight one of those things." Nora smirks. "Is it possible to have the school arrange a fight session?"

"I doubt it." Weiss replies. "I'm sure Ironwood would rather not teach people how to fight against his own forces."

" **How did he get that?" Blake wonders.**

" **As some of you may have heard, this right here..." Torchwick taps the giant mech ."...is Atlas' newest defence against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my 'employer', we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, 'hit the shelves'."**

"He mentioned his employer!" Blake yells. "Why didn't I notice it last time!?"

"There was a lot going on." Sun tries to calm Blake down. "We'd just been shown a massive robot. It's understandable that we would miss a few things."

"You think he's referring to Cinder?" Jaune asks.

"It would be strange if he wasn't." Blake says. "We saw before that he's working under her orders."

 **Torchwick continues "Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?" The White Fang's roaring applause tells him the answer.**

"He seemed rather careless with telling everyone where his next base of operation is." Ruby says.

"Southeast is a very broad term." Ren points out. "He could have been referring to somewhere along the river between the agricultural and residential districts. You were luck to assume he meant outside of Vales main borders."

" **We should get out of here." Blake whispers to Sun.**

" **Will all new recruits, please come forward!" The Lieutenant says to the crowd.**

 **Upon hearing this, the crowd that Sun and Blake are a part of moves, forcing everyone to move with them.**

" **Welp." Sun looks around uncomfortably as he and Blake struggle and fail to budge themselves to the back of the crowd.**

"How did you get out of this?" Yang asks. "It seems like you should have gotten caught by the guards before being able to escape."

As Blake opens her mouth to explain, Sun decides to interrupt. "We found a way. Better not to ruin the surprise."

After this remark, Sun grins at Blake, who rolls her eyes in an amused fashion. "You mean I found a way."

"Close enough." Sun turns back to the screen.

 **Meanwhile with Yang and Neptune at the Club, Junior puts down his glass as he sits behind the bar separating him from his interrogator.**

" **I don't know!" Junior answers an off-screen question.**

" **How can you not know?" Yang crosses her arms.**

Ren turns to Yang. "You were asking about Torchwick?"

"Yep." Yang answers.

Ren follows up on this. "But he didn't have any answers?"

Yang sighs. "No… no he didn't."

"I thought you said he knew everything?" Weiss queries.

"Everything about Vales underground network." Yang answers. "Torchwick must have been creating his own information routes, independent of all the other shady businesses."

"Better safe than sorry." Ruby declares. "Yang, thanks for checking for us."

" **I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here." Junior leans over to point in Yang's face. "He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back."**

"I think we remember what happened to them." Nora speaks up. "It was in the first video, right?"

"Not counting the trailers, yes." Ren confirms. "I'm guessing they were arrested after Goodwitch arrived."

"They were." Ruby confirms. "It took some time, and the video decided to skip it, but they are now all serving their time for threatening and attempted theft."

" **So where did they go?" Neptune rushing to Yang's side to raise a question of his own.**

 **After a long pause Junior answers. "What kind of stupid question is that? They never came back!" He turns to Yang. "Who is this guy?"**

"Yeah… Neptune's not the smartest in those kind of situations." Sun admits. "Spends too much time caring about his appearance to understand the situation."

 **Yang pushes Neptune out of the way with one hand. "Don't worry about him; worry about me if I don't find out what I want!"**

" **I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is something I can relate to!" Junior shouts this at his own men, who grumble and walk around aimlessly in response.**

"They don't seem to have the best success rate, do they." Jaune mentions.

"To be fair, we've only seen them fighting me and Ruby." Yang says. "It can hardly be considered a fair situation."

" **Come on, Neptune." Yang turns from the bar and walks away.**

 **Neptune follows with his hands in his pockets. "We get everything we need?"**

" **Well, we got everything we can. Hopefully the rest of the team is having better luck." Yang answers.**

"That depends on how you would define luck." Sun says. "We certainly got the most useful information."

' _He's not wrong.'_ Weiss admits to herself. _'The information I got, while useful, never really played a part in our later plans.'_

 **The scene cuts to the White Fang recruitment, where the audience is still cheering loudly as the recruits are marched to the stage, with Blake and Sun having no choice but to follow along.**

" **What are we going to do?!" Sun whispers to Blake.**

" **I'm thinking..." Blake responds.**

' _Time to see Blake's plan of escape.'_ Yang thinks. _'I wonder how she did it?'_

 **At this point Sun sees Torchwick lean on the robot smoking his cigar and laughing with the girl beside him before he zeroes in on the two, frowning.**

" **He sees us..." Sun says, as he nervously smiles and waves.**

 **Torchwick throws his cigar away as he walks forward angrily.**

"I'm guessing he recognise you from before." Jaune says.

"Most likely." Blake admits. "Perhaps we should have worn some better disguises."

"Like what?" Sun asks.

"Changing hairstyle would have been a good start." Pyrrha says. "With the masks, there wouldn't be many other distinguishing features."

"Duly noted." Blake nods.

"You could also wear some more colourful clothing." Nora chimes in. "I don't think I've ever seen you wearing anything but black and white, apart from school uniform."

"I suppose." Blake seems slightly uncomfortable with the idea. _'She's not completely right, my clothes have some purple in them.'_

 **Blake notices the junction box on the wall. "He can't see in the dark."**

 **With that, Blake unsheathes Gambol Shroud, transforms it into a pistol, and shoots at the box, making the lights go out for the whole building and turning the screen dark.**

"So that's how you did it!" Yang claps her hands together. "I should have known you would do something like that!"

"Wouldn't most of the White Fang be able to see you even with the lights off?" Jaune asks.

"They could have if they were prepared." Blake admits. "But the sudden change in lighting threw them of. So me and Sun could make our escape while they all adjusted."

" **Don't let them get away!" Torchwick yells.**

" **Sun! The window!" Blake calls.**

" **Stop them!" Torchwick orders, as the sound of the Paladin booting up is heard.**

"Wait… So how did Torchwick get into the Paladin?" Weiss asks. "He shouldn't have been able to see."

"He must have used memory of where it was." Pyrrha says. "With some fast reactions, a good memory, and a little luck, it shouldn't have been that hard."

 **The screen lights up again to show a window, shortly followed by the two student Huntsmen crashing through it and start running as fast as they can, the mechanized sound of running power signals the Atlesian Paladin's activation, and it crashes through the wall of the building in pursuit of the runaways, who leap off of a car and manage to get on the roofs. The Paladin follows beside them on the street as Blake and Sun run, jump, and flip from rooftop to rooftop.**

"I hope no one was hurt by the Paladins rampage." Ruby says. "I would hate to think we caused someone an injury."

"There were a few minor incidents." Weiss says. "But for the most part, the only people were the ones driving at the time. I heard that the council actually used this incident to justify the increased safety features required in vehicles in the last few years." _'Before this, the manufacturers were actively against it, wanting to use their money to make them faster instead. They must have thought it would boost sales.'_

" **So you wouldn't happen to have..." Sun twirls in the air. "oh, I don't know... some form of backup?!"**

" **On it!" Blake grabs her Scroll and puts it to her ear as she continues to jump.**

 **Weiss Schnee is seen leaving the Cross Continental Transmit tower's elevator when she grabs her own Scroll and listens to Blake's message.**

" **Everyone!" Blake is hard through the cell. "If you can hear me, we need back-"**

" **HEEEELLLLP!" Sun interrupts, while making their situation clear.**

"Someone seemed to be slightly terrified." Yang comments.

"Can you blame me!?" Sun protests. "It's not every day you get chases by some massive robot!"

 **Weiss rolls her eyes and starts running out the door, a little smile on her face as she does so.**

"What were you smiling for?" Ruby looks at her partner.

"I just thought it was nice to be needed." Weiss answers. "It was also a good sign that Blake and Sun had gotten some information."

 **Ruby is still beside the dumpster, which is boarded up, possibly to keep the rat imprisoned, staring at her Scroll.**

' _I suspect this is why Ruby has been slightly unsettled whenever she sees a rat recently._ ' Yang thinks.

" **Big robot! And it's big! Really big!" Sun is heard through the scroll.**

" **Oh, I am not missing this!" Ruby says excitedly as she runs off to join the fight.**

"What were you excited for?" Weiss mimics Ruby's earlier words.

Ruby laughs nervously at this. "I just wanted to see the robot. I was wondering what kind of weapons it had."

"Were you impressed?" Pyrrha asks.

"I was." Ruby admits. "What's most worrying is how responsive it was. Torchwick seemed to be able to react as if it was his own body he was controlling."

 **Yang is back on the motorcycle in her helmet and sunglasses with Neptune looking at the Scroll in her hand over her shoulder.**

" **That Torchwick guy is in it!" Sun explains. "But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it or something!"**

"You didn't have to explain it like that." Blake brings up. "I'm sure everyone knew what you meant."

"I was panicking!" Sun argues. "Unlike you guys, this is an unusual situation for me."

"We don't get in trouble that often." Ruby grumbles.

"I beg to differ." Sun responds.

" **Where are you guys?" Yang asks.**

 **Right on cue, behind them, Blake and Sun can be seen running through the street with the Paladin hot on their heels before they all disappear from view.**

" **HURRYYYY!" Sun is heard through the scroll and in person.**

"That seems to be a strange coincidence." Ren brings up.

"Not as strange as Jaune being launched into Ruby during initiation." Yang points out. "Besides, it's not surprising that Juniors club and the White Fang meet up are both in downtown."

" **I think that was them." Neptune points out.**

" **Yeah, I got it." Yang puts the Scroll away, quickly circles her ride around - much to Neptune's alarm - and drives off to follow them.**

 **Blake and Sun somehow make it to the highways, jumping down into the busy street and continuing their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin follows them by pushing vehicles out of the way. Sun pauses to look at their pursuer's path of destruction and offer a quick "Whoa!" before leaping onto more cars, much to the anger of Torchwick inside the robot, his face surrounded by blue holographic screens.**

"So that's what he sees." Ruby comments. She then goes on a technical rant. "I would assume that the displays to the side show the current state of the Paladin, and there must be a front display that shows what's ahead of him. As for the controls, the arms likely mimic what he's doing, while he holds two single handed controllers with buttons control the special functions such as missiles or mechashifting the arms for the relevant situation. Movement however, he turns on and off, controlling the speed and direction by moving the controllers left, right and forward. At a guess, I would say there is also a more manual function, since the Paladin is also designed to save people from collapsed buildings…"

"Have you ever considered… breathing?" Nora suggests.

' _And here I thought we had finally gotten Ruby out of her rants.'_ Yang thinks.

 **Yang and Neptune are able to follow the mech suit on their ride, coming up next to it as it runs.**

" **We've gotta slow it down!" Yang yells over the traffic.**

" **Got it!" Neptune agrees. He reaches for his gun, but Torchwick notices the pair on his sensors and crashes into a multitude of cars with the Paladin's strong bulk, sending them flying towards his chasers.**

"I'm guessing those were the people injured." Pyrrha says.

"They were." Weiss confirms.

"You said there were no serious incidents." Jaune looks to the cars flying through the air. "How is that even possible?"

"In a crisis, the cars will cushion the blow." Weiss explains. "Another major factor is the special type of glass they now use. Without it, there would have been much more serious injuries."

" **Hold on!" Yang instructs as she manoeuvres her way through the vehicles being sent flying at her, with Neptune flailing about behind her, nearly hit a few times.**

"I'm guessing this is the exact reason uncle Qrow always defended you reckless driving." Ruby says to Yang.

"What are you talking about." Blake asks out of curiosity.

"Dad always scolded me for driving so fast." Yang explains. "But uncle Qrow always defended me by saying it would be useful in the future." She looks to the screen. "It turns out he was right."

 **Once his balance is restored, Neptune unslings his weapon, aims as sparks start flying, and fires several bolts of blue electricity at the Paladin, causing Torchwick to grimace from the force of the attacks.**

' _Is that electricity.'_ Nora grins. _'It seems we won't have to worry about team SSSN during the tournament.'_

 **Switching strategies, Neptune flips the gun and it grows a shaft and an energy blade at the end, then jumps from Yang's bike as the spear's head splits in three and drives it into the top of the Paladin. Noticing this Sun and Blake pause in their car-hopping to look back.**

" **Neptune, hang on!" Sun yells.**

 **Neptune is trying his best, but the mech keeps bucking and threatens to make him fall. Closing his eyes, Sun smashes his palms together, and from the golden Aura around him, his Semblance creates two glowing outlines that copy their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front. They explode into blinding light upon contact to let Sun leap forward to attack with his weapon, but Torchwick finally turns enough to send Neptune flying off and knocking into his leader, sending both of them off the highway.**

"Urgh!" Sun groans. "That was just unfair. I could have kept fighting, but the environment prevented me from getting back to you guys."

"It's not your fault." Blake says. "You were just unlucky to fall onto a road going the opposite direction."

"Yeah." Sun nods his head. _'So that was the excuse I used.'_

 **As Blake looks on from her spot, she hears Weiss's voice from her Scroll: "Blake! I'm in position!"**

 **Weiss is seen twirling over a highway and landing in the middle of the road, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching Torchwick. He smiles as his robot charges the girl, but Weiss spins and plunges her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that causes the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress and falling off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form.**

 **The Paladin stands back up, and the rest of Team RWBY falls beside their leader to take up positions. Torchwick chuckles, moving the robot slowly towards the girls.**

"And this is where the fight really started!" Ruby says.

"Hey!" Sun yells. "Me and Neptune still helped!"

"Did you though?" Weiss looks at Sun, unamused. "Neptune yes, but you on the other hand didn't seem to do much of anything."

' _I guess she's right.'_ Sun chooses not to say anything more.

" **Freezer Burn!" Ruby gives her orders.**

 **Ruby and Blake jump back out of the way as Weiss performs her same ice-circle trick, but backs out of Yang's way when she jumps into the air and hits the epicentre with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounds the Paladin. Immediately, the Paladin activates its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely sees the afterimage of Blake and narrowly misses the dashing Yang. A gun manages to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast comes Ruby, who slashes the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.**

' _How come JNPR doesn't have such inventive team attacks.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I suppose it's because our semblances aren't as versatile.'_

" **Checkmate!" Ruby issues their next move.**

 **Blake and Weiss go in this time, each girl going for the feet until Weiss jumps up and stabs a sensor before leaping off of a white glyph. Torchwick lifts the Paladin's foot to crush Blake, but Weiss summons another glyph under her teammate to launch her backwards before the crushing blow can land. Torchwick growls and fires off the missiles, but Weiss and Blake flip backwards as the explosions merely hit where they were.**

' _Weiss's semblance seems especially versatile.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Though I guess since it's hereditary, it would have to be.'_

 **Finally, Weiss jumps up too high, and Torchwick fires a double energy blast at her. Myrtenaster absorbs the damage, but Weiss is thrown back, so she casts a beam of light from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that's absorbed into the Faunus girl and lets her slice through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes.**

"What is that?" Jaune asks.

"Time distortion." Weiss answers. "I can speed up a person for a time, but unless it's me, they can't move from their spot without it wearing off." _'With some more practice though, I should be able to make it work even while they move.'_

"You're not worried about giving away your own Semblance?" Ruby asks.

"It's all on the internet anyway." Weiss replies. "If someone wants to know, there isn't much I can do to hide it."

" **Ladybug!" Ruby runs back into the fight.**

 **Ruby shoots herself forward and cuts at the robot's legs, then turns as Blake aims herself at the giant's feet as well. They both dash forward and attack at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launch themselves into the air and come down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.**

"Paladins seem to be more delicate around the joints." Ruby says. "Likely because the moving parts need space, so they cant install as much armour."

 **Yang doesn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Torchwick is knocked around in the cabin, but seeing as he can't reach her with his remaining mechanical arm, he runs backwards through two columns and leaves her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her. Just as she is falling down, the remaining arm extends a closed fist, and when it punches her, she flies through the column and doesn't get up.**

" **Yang!" Blake calls out of concern.**

" **Don't worry! With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back! That's what makes her special." Ruby explains.**

"Thanks, but Yang already told me." Blake points out.

"Then why were you so worried about Yang at the time?" Ruby asks.

"She had just been hit through a pillar." Blake points out. "I didn't think a Semblance would help that much."

"I actually think it might also reduce the amount of damage I take." Yang speaks up. "There's no way of proving that it's not just good Aura control though."

"One thing we do know, is that Weiss's attempt of hiding it from me was futile." Sun says.

"Hmth." Weiss turns her head away from the monkey Faunus.

" ** _It was just fine, we lived in peace, looked to a happy ending."_**

"Ohh!" Nora squeals in delight. "New song!"

 **Yang slowly gets back on her feet, hair burning a brilliant golden white as she clenches her fists. Sensing victory, Torchwick throws a punch, but Yang catches it in her own hand (despite the ground cracking beneath her) and, eyes red with rage, smashes her knuckles into the second arm, obliterating it under her force.**

' _I would need a lot of electricity to match that strike.'_ Nora thinks. _'Though I wouldn't have to be on the brink of death to use it.'_

 **Getting desperate with his armless robot, Torchwick immediately kicks Yang to the side, but as she passes her sister and teammates...**

" **Bumblebee!" Ruby yells.**

' _Their team attack names are so much cooler than ours.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Not to mention the fact that my team keeps forgetting them.'_

" ** _Our dreams came true, our path was clear, the moon watched safely from above."_**

' _This song gives me a bad feeling.'_ Sun thinks. _'But at the same time, it's so upbeat.'_

 **Blake throws her Gambol Shroud out for Yang to catch while flying, and the Faunus uses the momentum to swing the glowing girl around for a final hit to the robot. Torchwick, however, steps out of the way just in time to avoid complete destruction.**

" **We have to slow it down!" Ruby tells Weiss.**

" **And how do you propose we do that?" Weiss asks.**

" **Ice Flower!" Ruby answers.**

 **Twirling their weapons so they both point at Torchwick, Weiss creates a series of glyphs in front of the scythe's sniper barrel, and a single shot through the circles creates a dazzling spiral of energy that creates large icicles upon impact with the Paladin.**

' _Weiss is certainly a person who makes her teammates stronger with her Glyphs.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'It will be quite surprising if she doesn't make it to the doubles.'_

 **Ruby continues to shoot as Weiss freezes the fire, and as the ice completely envelops the robot's body, Blake swings her partner around in a circle one more time, but with Torchwick unable to move, the Paladin is hit by the speed and power of Yang's fists, flying into the air before crashing down in a hundred pieces and a defeated criminal.**

" ** _Not every open wound is simply healed by time, but revenge is always sweet, and chaos is the prize."_**

"This song seems sorta… dark." Jaune comments. "The tune is good, but the lyrics aren't what I would expect."

' _It could be foreshadowing.'_ Yang thinks. _'Does one of us get seriously injured and then seek out revenge? It could actually be referring to one of our enemies though. I'm not sure how comforting that is.'_

 **Torchwick getting up, slightly dazed but unharmed, as he inspects the damage while brushing Dust off his clothes. "Just got this thing cleaned..."**

" ** _Feel it everywhere and you see it growing, enemies arise and the hate is flowing, shattering the moon and bloodying the sky."_**

 **He looks up just in time to see Yang, still burning with her absorbed power, fire a single shot at the defenceless thief, but he's saved at the last instant when the two-toned girl seen before drops in front of him and merely opens her pink umbrella, deflecting the blast entirely.**

"Ren, could you make a sketch of her later?" Weiss asks.

"Will do." Ren agrees, making a note of it.

" ** _The machines of war will fuel both sides, And the greed will only grow more lies; Farewell to days of peace cause now it's time to die."_**

' _Farewell to days of peace._ ' Yang thinks on this. _'The more we watch, the more likely war seems to be. Especially considering Ruby's letter.'_

 **The new arrival hangs the weapon over her shoulder as Torchwick addresses the victors. "Ladies, Ice Queen..."**

" **Hey!" Weiss says, offended.**

"How does he know about that nickname!" Weiss demands an explanation. "It's bad enough everyone else uses it. But to have a scumbag like him do it…"

"It just seems to come naturally." Sun says. "I thought of it independently of everyone else so…" he notices Weiss's glare. "…I'm going to shut up now."

" **Always a pleasure!" Torchwick continues, then turns to his partner. "Neo, if you would..."**

"Neo!" Blake is shocked at hearing this.

"Someone you know?" Ruby asks.

"Not at all." Blake answers. "But didn't Sun say it was the name of Cinder's other team member."

"That's right!" Sun snaps his fingers. "I can kind of see the resemblance too. The hair colour seems wrong though."

"She could easily be using hair dies." Weiss says. "But this is good news actually."

"How is this good news?" Nora asks.

"It means we have less enemies than expected." Weiss replies. "And we also know where she is right now."

"She has a point." Jaune agrees. "Better for her to be somewhere that we know, than off somewhere in Anima."

 _'This should make it far easier to get some payback!'_ Yang thinks.

 **The Neo curtsies her enemies with a bow, but Yang will have none of it, charging forth with fists raised to strike the outlaws... only to break their image as if made out of a mirror and turn just in time to see them escape in a Bullhead. The rest of team RWBY runs up to Yang's side, now cooled down with the end of the fight.**

"How did she do that?" Pyrrha asks. "Is it some kind of Semblance?"

"We thinks so." Ruby replies. "But we don't know how it works. Blake thinks it's some kind of illusion."

"It makes the most sense." Blake says. "It could also be how she disguises her hair."

" **So I guess he got a new henchman..." Yang comments.**

" **Yeah, I guess she really made our plans... fall apart!" Weiss makes a pun.**

"Boooo!" Nora yells.

"It's not that bad." Weiss complains.

"Weiss, take my advice and don't try to pick anything up from Yang." Blake says.

"Now that's just rude!" Yang yells in mock annoyance.

 **While Weiss smiles, Ruby giggles, and Blake starts walking away, Yang simply states "No. Just... no."**

" **What- But, you do it!" Weiss gets mad.**

" **There's a time and a place for jokes." Yang says.**

" **Was this not it?" Weiss asks.**

" **No, it just wasn't very good." Yang follows behind Blake.**

' _I thought it was funny.'_ Ruby thinks, but decides not to say aloud.

" **Well, at least I'm trying!" Weiss follows her teammates.**

" **Wait... Where are Sun and Neptune?" Ruby points out their absence.**

 **Sun and Neptune are sitting in the middle stools of the 'A Simple Wok Noodle House' eating their plates of noodles with their weapons leaning on the other two stools.**

"You were having noodles?" Blake says. "I thought you said you were coming to help us but got lost."

"We were!" Sun lies. "We just figured you would be done by the time we got there."

" **They're probably fine, right?" Neptune asks.**

" **Probably." Sun responds.**

"See!" Sun points to the screen. "We had faith in you."

 **His question answered, Neptune turns back to his noodles, and the two eat in silence until the screen cuts to black and _"Die"_ plays again.**

"Well that was an exciting video." Nora says. "Could have done with a bit more me, but other than that…"

"You weren't in it." Ren points out.

"And that's why it needed more of me." Nora responds.

"So what should be next?" Pyrrha asks. "I think we can do one more video before taking another break."

"It should be the dance." Yang answers. "But with these videos, who knows?"

 **Congratulations on reaching this point**

"Look!" Ruby points to the screen. "We've got another message from our host."

 **A special video has been added, you can find it under the title 'World of Remnant'**

"These must be the bonus videos talked about in the last message." Weiss says.

They wait for the next part of the message, but it never arrives. Instead the screen just turns back to the title.

"We may as well watch it." Jaune picks up the remote and selects the new option. "It should be a good way to end off this session."

With that, he starts the new video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Painting the town (red)

Penny is: world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura

Penny isn't allowed to discuss her blueprints

Penny has a soul (how?) – newly created soul? – Passes some unknown standard?

Penny and her weapons made of a special alloy

Ironwood involved in Pennys creation – Use research to strengthen army

Ironwood is a good person – willing to go to extremes

Soldiers want to keep her separate from outside world?

Penny designed to save the world – what is the threat? Grimm? Cinder?

Ironwood tricking Penny?

Penny prefers to not use physical strength

Soldiers don't seem to know about hiccupping

Yang does to interrogate Junior

White Fang uses scratch mark as sign – will change if they think compromised

White Fang seems to trust Torchwick for some reason

Torchwick's henchwoman, has pink and brown hair

Torchwick uses common enemy to gain trust

Torchwick has Paladin – Multiple

White Fang know some things about Cinder – likely not much

Blake learns about the Southeast

Yang gets no answers from Junior

Blake escaped using blackout – chased by Torchwick.

Blake calls of reinforcements from team

Team RWBY end up fighting Torchwick alone

Song seems very dark (what could it mean?)

RWBY wins

Torchwick's henchwoman = Neo = Cinders other team member

Torchwick escapes using Neo's Semblance – possibly illusions?

Special video unlocked

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Let it be known that I am not a car expert, any information you see is purely fictional. I simply write whatever I feel best suits the story.**

 **Through out my story I have been giving some hints towards the more popular/likely ships. I make sure that they can be taken completely platonically though. What are your thoughts?**

 **As you should have guessed, the next video will be the first WoR. I may change the contents slightly to match current cannon, so if you know of any faults in WoR: Dust, then please inform me quickly.**


	21. V2: WoR1: Dust

**A/N**

 **Firstly, I forgot to thank GeonteneArgon00 for giving me a suggestion on changing one of Nora's lines. For those interested, in V1C6 Nora now says "That was good advice! From Port!" instead of That was good advice! From Port no less!" Very small distinction, but the new line fits with her character more. This is the kind of feedback I am very happy to hear, if you have any problems with a specific line, then don't hesitate to tell me.**

 **Also, thanks to YourAverageGem for telling me their reaction during parts of V3. As someone who binged the entire series early this year, this information is invaluable. If I could get more information from other people, that would be very helpful.**

 **Onto more recent comments:**

 **stephenadezio recommended not changing any of the information in the WoR videos. This chapter shows the general extent to which I will be changing things. What are people's thoughts? Can you even notice the change I made?**

 **One guest said that the cast should point out the things wrong with the WoR videos. I don't think there are any mistakes though. Post V3 there are no examples of long-range communication (all scroll usage seems to be local or only city wide). The Grimm are all born with the bone plating but the grow bigger and get more plating with time (the new engine has thrown some people off).**

 **The only thing that can be considered a real mistake is Aura being passive. My answer to that will be to change the wording slightly, so as to leave it ambiguous.**

 **MorenoX25 gave me an in depth look at all the mistakes they think are in WoR: Dust. They said that the colour of wind Dust has been changed, so I will answer this by never referring to it by colour. When It comes to using raw Dust needing discipline, I assume it meant using it in the way Cinder appeared to be using it during V1 and V2. "Humanity has yet to understand how Dust came to be", I interpret that as them not knowing the reason it formed it the first place, no matter how much research they put into it. "Humanity has yet to understand how Dust will ultimately change the world", this is likely foreshadowing for some future event (though it may never happen due to the unfortunate death of Monty Oum)**

 **Engineer1869 has told me that I should change the car protection information from "last few years" to "next few years". I will not be doing this however, as that was my explanation on why no one got serious injuries. That was just a minor offhanded detail meant to do some world building while not contradicting the RWBY cannon, so it should never become relevant again.**

 **I've mentioned before on how I am not going all in on any of the ships other than Jaune/Pyrrha and Ren/Nora. This means I am still holding back on Sun/Blake or Yang/Blake. I will however say that Yang and Blake are definitely very close, and that Sun clearly has feelings for Blake. Other than that, all relationships will be made so that they can be interpreted as platonic.**

 **What do the cast think of their host? – My answer is that I will answer that when I feel it to be relevant. Currently though, it should be grateful but annoyed.**

 **What is my release schedule? – Please see my profile before asking any questions like that.**

 **If you see any grammatical mistakes that are confusing to the extent that you don't know how to interpret them, then please tell me. If it something that can be easily overlooked and ignored, then don't bother me. Spelling mistakes on the other hand are something I very much want to avoid, so please tell me whenever you see one.**

 **Another review from GeonteneArgon00 mentioned how Yang should have had a stronger reaction to Neo. I agree, the problem is that I completely forgot about that at the time. I will go back to fix this at some point (likely before this is posted).**

 **I apologise for having such a large portion of this chapter being dedicated to reviews. However I have recently had many helpful ones, and I want people to know my general thoughts as they go through this fic. This should make it easier for people to correct me if I make a mistake.**

 **Volume 2: World of Remnant 1: Dust**

"So this is about Dust?" Ruby asks.

"It would appear so." Weiss replies. "Didn't our host say that the things shown in theses special videos are exclusive to our reality?"

"They did." Ren confirms as he looks back his previous notes. He then prepares a new page for the new information they would be getting.

"It will be nice to learn more about Dust." Pyrrha says.

"It certainly will." Weiss agrees. "Even our top scientists have trouble understanding the true nature of Dust. The best they can learn is how it interacts with the world."

"I thought it was some kind of crystallised Aura." Nora says.

"That is one of the more prevalent beliefs." Weiss says. "But there is yet to be any proof that is the case. On the contrary, there seems to be evidence against that theory."

" **Dust. By definition, it is a naturally occurring energy propellant that can be triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus." Trails of dust are seen against a black backdrop. The dust then starts glowing.**

"Isn't this the voice from before?" Sun points out. "The one that seemed to be having a conversation with Ozpin."

"It is." Blake, having seen that episode twice now, confirms this.

"It even seems to have the same art style." Jaune points out. "I'm guessing we won't be shown any real events.

Ren meanwhile, is having other thoughts. _'Why are we hearing this person again? What relevance could she have to anything we've been watching?'_

" **But in reality, it is much, much more." The dust then turns into a Dust crystal that shines brightly, covering the screen.**

"This is it." Weiss watches the screen excitedly. "We may finally get some answers."

"So there really is more to Dust than we currently know." Jaune points out. "But what else could there be to know?"

" **Found in the basic forms, Dust can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new, stronger types, each with unique properties." Four new crystals are seen, each representing one of the primary forms of Dust. The crystals then combine to create wide array of effects, such as steam, explosions and ice.**

' _Okay… good.'_ Weiss thinks impatiently. _'Now can we please get onto whatever makes Dust special.'_

" **Since its discovery, man has concocted a multitude of ways in which to harness these mysterious crystals." A brown crystal is seen of the ground, this is eventually picked up by the silhouette of a hand. "From airships to androids, Dust has made its way into practically every facet of technology."**

"And yet we still know so little about it." Yang comments. "You would have thought that someone would have gotten a clear answer by this point."

"It's much harder than you may think." Weiss says. "While plenty of theories have been made, there has been no way of proving any of them. The best we've been able to do is disprove some of the more outlandish ideas.

" **Some prefer to use Dust in its raw form: elegant, yet destructive." A figure holds up some Dust to the sky, creating lightning strikes all around him.**

"Not many people do that nowadays." Pyrrha says. "While it has advantages in being more versatile, the time needed to learn how to use it even to a minor extent has made it a dying art. Another major reason is because Dust weapons have become far more intricate, making the advantage raw Dust used to have become less and less significant."

"I never knew you were so knowledgeable about raw Dust usage." Jaune says.

"I was considering learning it many years ago." Pyrrha explains. "I chose not to because it would get in the way of my other training."

" **Those who choose to wield Dust in this state must possess a certain level of discipline, to ensure that their resulting powers do not break free from their control." Dark clouds start to cover the figure, the clouds spread to completely engulf the screen.**

' _My father has had to deal with far to many cases of people using raw Dust, only to lose an arm.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Of course, his lawyers never allowed him to take any of the blame. Not that they were wrong to do so, it's always them who does something stupid.'_

" **Dust ammunition serves as a more practical application in today's modern society. With the technological advancements in weapon design, warriors need merely choose the right cartridge for the job and pull the trigger." A kneeling soldier is seen aiming some kind of rifle. More, similar soldiers appear alongside him, until the soldier fires of his weapon into the distance.**

"This is getting us nowhere." Weiss realises. "You could get all this from a public library. Where's the new information!" She seems visibly annoyed by this point.

" **While this has become the standard method of use, it is not uncommon to find individuals still practicing more archaic forms of Dust manipulation…" The soldier jumps into the air at such incredible speeds that it leaves cracks on the ground around him.**

"… **such as weaving it into clothing…" A man is seen wearing a cloak that glistens like fire.**

"That's what Cinder did." Ruby points out. "I remember at the CCT, her disguise had glowing markings on the legs."

"So that means she may be a raw Dust user?" Blake asks. "But it didn't seem like she was using Dust when that flame appeared in her hand."

"It could be a trick." Yang says. "You know… sleight of hand. It would certainly make threatening Torchwick easier if she appeared to have some unknown power."

"That makes sense." Sun nods his head. "It may just be part of her semblance though. Possibly the ability to teleport any Dust that is around her."

"… **or even fusing it directly with their own bodies." Another man places some light blue Dust into themselves, then scrunches over as if feeling a pain in his stomach.**

"You can do that?" Jaune asks. "Why haven't I heard of more people doing it? It sounds easy enough."

"While it's easier than using raw Dust in the normal fashion, it is also extremely painful." Ren explains. "In some areas they even used to use it as a form of torture. Using large enough amounts has even been known to cause the brain to permanently shut down in order to protect itself."

' _There goes any plans of me doing that.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Guess I'll just have to keep practicing.'_

" **Despite working, fighting, and even turning a profit with it, humanity has still yet to understand how Dust came to be…" A salesman is seen in front of a selection of different coloured Dust, this is replaced by the figure of a man holding a shield and flaming sword, this figure then disappears, replaced with the Schnee Glyph emblem.**

' _We know that!'_ Weiss grips the cushions beneath her. _'Stop teasing us with information and actually get on with it. You even have to bring up my family emblem.'_

"… **and more importantly, how their involvement with Dust will ultimately change the world of Remnant." The emblem is then overlaid against the image of the globe, until the emblem, globe, and entire screen is engulfed in darkness.**

Weiss's shoulders drop as she looks at the screen in cold fury.

"Well that was useless." Nora comments. "I think I learnt more from everyone else's comments than the video itself."

"Same." Sun agrees. "That was more like an introduction to Dust than any kind of explanation."

As Sun and Nora continue their complaining, Ruby notices Weiss's deadly gaze.

"Weiss, are you alright." Ruby asks her partner.

"I'm fine." Weiss rolls her eyes, trying to dispel her anger. _'I think I'm starting to hate that woman's voice.'_

"Why don't we stop for now." Pyrrha announces. Wanting to help Ren calm down Nora. "I think it's about time we all took a break."

* * *

Later in JNPR's room

Pyrrha enters the room to see Nora sitting on her bed, headphones on and holding a scroll.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here so soon." Nora comments. "Something happen?"

"Jaune wanted to train alone for a bit." Pyrrha explains. "I decided to take a breather until we watch the videos again. Why aren't you with Ren?"

"He's busy scouring the library for information." Nora says. "I figured I might as well listen to some of the songs instead of bother him. You want to join in?"

"Certainly." Pyrrha answers as she sits next to Nora. "What songs have you listened too so far?"

"Time to Say Goodbye, All Our Days, and Die. That's all the new ones since Sun got here." Nora list them off on her fingers. "They all sound great, I would recommend listening to them yourself some time."

"What about that one?" Pyrrha points to a couple of new songs on Nora's scroll. "Aren't those new?"

Nora looks down at her scroll. "That's weird. They weren't there before." She takes off her headphones and selects one of them.

" ** _I've been watching you lately, chasing your tail and it drives me crazy. You'll never get that girl."_**

"A love song?" Pyrrha turns to Nora who just shrugs in response.

" ** _She don't see in you the things that I can see, the girl's ice cold-it ain't meant to be, look in every land and port in the world."_**

' _There's no way.'_ Pyrrha's eyes widen at the mention of an ice girl. _'This couldn't be about that. Could it?'_

" ** _I've been spendin' time wonderin' why, nothin' that I do can catch your eye. Just can't capture your attention."_**

"Pyrrha?" Nora looks to her team mate with worry, until noticing the blush on her face. "Ohh…"

" ** _Maybe I'm too tall or not your type, but I'm not giving up, I'll get it right. Being close to you is my intention."_**

 _'I remember having these worries.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'There's not way it's a coincidence. I have to make sure Jaune never hears this.'_

" ** _I see more in you, than the rest of them do, and I'm not gonna let you fall."_**

' _How come Weiss never saw how wonderful Jaune is.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I'm almost glad he acted all flirtatious, because his true personality is what really shines.'_

" ** _I'll swallow my pride, time after time, cuz you're worth it all."_**

' _It really did hurt watching him act like that.'_ Pyrrha recalls. _'He always saw me for me, but he never considered that I would want to be with him like that.'_

" ** _Whenever I think of you, and how I wish you only knew, you might be my dream come true. But what do I have to do to make you notice me?"_**

' _Apparently I have to tell him how I feel.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'During the dance I told him everything but the most important words.'_

" ** _I know that - you and I we would be alright, we could dance on the roof, we could light the night. Gotta make you see me in that way."_**

"To think someone actually bothered to make a song out of it." Pyrrha wipes the tears out of her eyes.

Nora watches this in silence. _'This isn't something I should interfere with.'_

" ** _Why don't you, Forget about the little chick in white? She don't care about you and she's so uptight."_**

" **Hey!"**

" ** _Let me put a smile on your face."_**

"Was that Weiss." Pyrrha practically laughs at this. "I suppose there's no point in trying to deny it at this point."

"Yeah." Nora agrees, forgetting her previous self-promise. "Though he was the only one not to notice it before the dance."

"Really!?" Pyrrha chuckles. "I guess I'm not the best at keeping secrets."

" ** _How I wish that you knew, that I'm crazy for you. When I'm with you, time just flies."_**

"So what's really going on between you two at the moment?" Nora asks. "After the dance I thought you would be together but…"

" ** _I'll get you alone, make you my own, it will be divine."_**

"It's complicated." Pyrrha answers. "We both like each other but… I'm not comfortable calling it a relationship yet."

" ** _I can keep on waiting, cause my heart I've been saving."_**

" ** _I think you're gonna figure it out: I'm the one for you and there's no one else."_**

' _You shouldn't waste your opportunity like that.'_ Nora thinks. _'At least you know he likes you back. Some of us aren't so lucky.'_

" ** _Whenever I think of you, and how I wish you only knew, that you might be my dream come true. But what do I have to do to make you my baby?"_**

' _I'll tell him soon.'_ Pyrrha promises herself. _'Perhaps once we get to the dance? That may be the best time.'_

" ** _Whenever I think of you,"_**

" ** _(Oh whenever I think of you)"_**

" ** _Only knew,"_**

" ** _(Oh how I wish you knew that I'm in love with you)"_**

" ** _Dream come true."_**

" ** _What do I have to do to make you notice..."_**

"This is starting to get repetitive." Pyrrha says. "I suppose that's to be expected."

" ** _It's gonna be you for me and me for you, we're gonna shine a light and make a dream come true, gotta get it right while we got the time, I'm gonna win your heart, I'm gonna make you mine, Come on, come on, Come on, come on, come on, come on now baby."_**

" ** _What do I have to do to make you notice me?"_**

" ** _Me?_**

" ** _Notice me?"_**

" ** _Notice me?"_**

* * *

Meanwhile in the library

Ren is looking through the books, searching for anything that may be of use to them when he stops on a certain page.

The book is called 'An Incomplete list of the types of Grimm' and he's stopped upon seeing an image he hoped never to see again.

 _The Grimm Nuckelavee_

 _This creature is technically the result of two lesser Grimm having merged together, those being a Grimm Imp and a Grimm Horse. Due to this combination it is capable of much more destruction than most Grimm of a similar age. Notable features include arms that can extend to great lengths and a screech that is so loud it can disorientate a person who is not focused. One other important aspect is that this Grimm is extremely terrifying even by Grimm standards, this is significant since it means that when it arrives in highly populated areas, it is almost always followed by other Grimm that are attracted by the vast amounts of negative emotion. The emergence of the Grimm Nuckelavee is often followed by the destruction of many nearby villages, often creating a wide area that is completely devoid of humanity. Unfortunately it is very unlikely for it to overestimate itself, this means that any confrontation that it seeks out will almost certainly lead to the death of its prey._

Ren looks through this information as his breathing becomes heavier. He turns over to the next page, almost ripping the page out, to find hoofprints, claw mark examples and even a picture of a bite mark. After a few moments he has had enough, closing the book and leaning back on his chair.

"Why did I have to find this?" He whispers, but there is no one in the room to hear him.

* * *

Back in JNPR's room

"How about we find out about the other song?" Pyrrha says as she picks up the scroll.

"Wait… no… don't…!" But Nora is too late, as Pyrrha has already started the song.

" ** _Never knew a time, when you weren't by my side. The one thing I could always count on."_**

" ** _Always there for me, you've been my family. Even when all other hope was gone."_**

' _Oh god! This is definitely about me.'_ Nora fiddles with her skirt.

"It seems to be another love song." Pyrrha points out. _'But it can't be about me so… ohh.'_ She comes to a realisation.

" ** _But for a while things have seemed so different, like it's the same but still brand new."_**

" ** _I can't believe it, when did I start to fall for you?"_**

' _I can't let Ren see this! I DEFINITELY can't let ren see this!'_ Nora thinks franticly.

" ** _Have I lost my mind, have I just been blind, never to have seen you might be…"_**

"… ** _everything I need, everything I dream, all along has it been right in front of me?"_**

" ** _We've been together for a long, long, long, long time."_**

" ** _I've never thought that you and I could be a thing."_**

" ** _I can't believe it, this is happening."_**

' _I already knew she had feelings for Ren, but I never thought they were to this extent.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'It might just be exaggeration though, not that my song was.'_

' _I remember that line.'_ Nora recalls. _'This is happening, I said that at the dance while Jaune was in that dress.'_

" ** _I think oh whoa what am I to do."_**

" ** _I didn't know that I would fall in love with you, and what to do right now I haven't got a clue."_**

" ** _I just bite my tongue and when I want to say I love you I say, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop."_**

' _I remember her saying this to Ren all the time.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Is it possible that's really what she means?'_ She glances over to Nora, who is now hiding underneath her covers. _'Perhaps it's better not to ask.'_

" ** _Every chatelaine wants to share her reign, so come and join me in my castle."_**

" ** _We'll crush our enemies, bring them to their knees, and though I have a tendency to babble."_**

' _I suppose this is why she calls herself the queen of the castle._ ' Pyrrha thinks. _'Or perhaps it's the other way round.'_

" ** _When I think about you I can't help my heart from racing. My mind goes fast and my knees start shaking."_**

" ** _My stomach does flips, and my brain does flops, and the feelings that I'm feeling I don't think that I can stop."_**

' _Why is this happening? Why did I have to invite Pyrrha to join me?_ ' Nora worries as she peeks out of her covers. _'What's she going to do? How can I get her to not mention this?'_

" **I could just say it, I love your everything. But I can't quite tell myself, if you're feeling quite the same."**

" **Maybe I should slow it down, try to show restraint. Hold Magnhild, I think I'm gonna faint."**

' _There it is, the absolute proof that this is from my perspective.'_ Nora thinks, she then looks around to notice her situation. _'This isn't like me! I should deal with this how I normally do.'_ She then jumps out of her position and sits next to Pyrrha, with a forced smile on her face.

" ** _I think oh whoa what am I to do."_**

" ** _I didn't know that I would fall in love with you."_**

" ** _And what to do right now, I haven't got a clue."_**

" ** _I just bite my tongue and when I want to say I love you I say."_**

" ** _Boop, boop, boop, boop I'll say boop,"_**

" ** _When I want to say I love you I'll say boop."_**

There is a slight pause once the song stops, until Nora says: "I won't mention anything about yours if you don't about mine."

"Agreed." Pyrrha nods her head.

"And we have to prevent anyone from hearing these songs." Nora adds.

"Of course." Pyrrha says.

Nora smiles at this. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." Pyrrha replies.

* * *

 **Ren's notes:**

About Dust

More to Dust than we currently know

Raw Dust is dangerous

Cinder used Dust clothing

Possible Cinder Semblance: Teleport any Dust that is near her

Fusing Dust with bodies may be relevant at some point.

Dust will change the world somehow (for good or bad?)

* * *

 **My writing for Pyrrha and Nora may be slightly out of character since there were only two people, usually I think of a line I want someone to say and then choose the best person to say it. In this chapter I knew what I wanted to be said but I wasn't sure how to keep it in character. Any suggestions on changing the wording?**

 **Seriously, I really struggled. Please tell me how to improve this chapter.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	22. V2: C5: Extracurricular

**A/N**

 **For those worried about the WoR: Aura in the future, I have a plan to sidestep the entire issue of Aura being passive/active by not ever directly mentioning it. For the record though, everything makes sense if you assume it works as a toggle (Aura is constantly on during battle, but most of the time people don't have it active.)**

 **Pyrrha and Nora both know about the other's crush, nothing in my last chapter said otherwise.**

 **Thanks to Kragh50 for telling me of my typo.**

 **One (or possibly multiple) guest reviewer has given me a large amount of useful feedback. I very much appreciate the advice, and I have changed the fic to better suit the characters. For V1:C1 though, I don't see any real problems since it's not strange for Jaune to say that, and Ruby would know about the different methods of acquiring weapons (even some of the shadier things, due to pure interest.)**

* * *

After some time, everyone reconvenes in the viewing room.

"Hey Pyrrha, Nora, what were you two doing?" Jaune asks.

"Just resting." Pyrrha replies calmly. "I was a bit worn out from all the training, so I decided to rest for a while."

"Me to." Nora agrees, she then realises how unbelievable this is. "Though I rested by getting some snacks and demolishing them."

"Okay everyone." Ruby calls from the other side of the room. "We all ready to start?"

Once everyone agrees, Ruby aims the remote and starts the next video.

 **Volume 2: Chapter 5: Extracurricular**

"Extracurricular." Weiss says. "It means to do something at school, outside of the regular curriculum."

"You don't have to explain everything to us Weiss." Yang says. "We're not dumb."

' _I had actually forgotten what it means for a moment.'_ Ruby thinks. _'It's best I don't let anyone know.'_

 **The scene opens to Pyrrha gearing up in a locker room. As she walks out of the locker room, a brief flash is seen of her sparring with Cardin.**

 **Pyrrha continues walking as more flashes appear, they now contain other members of Team CRDL.**

"Wasn't that from your fight with team CRDL?" Weiss says to Pyrrha.

"It would seem that's what we will be watching." Pyrrha responds. _'It will be good to watch myself beat them senseless. I regret not going harder on them, after what they did to Jaune.'_

 **Eventually the scene fully transitions to showing the fight. Pyrrha charges forward with her spear, trading blows with Cardin until he falls to one knee. As Cardin looks up, he finds that Pyrrha is already above him, striking down at the ground that he barely rolls away from.**

 **Getting up, Pyrrha throws her weapon at Dove, interrupting his attack long enough for her to swipe her feet against his, making him fall to the ground. Sky then comes in with his halberd, Pyrrha blocks the attack before sending him backwards.**

"Isn't this similar to the fight we saw in the opening?" Sun points out.

"You're right!" Nora agrees. "I wonder why it was there?"

"Most likely an artistic choice." Jaune says. "I seriously doubt there is anything too important we can get from it."

 **Next Pyrrha targets Cardin, who blocks one strike before going in for a large swing. Pyrrha rolls out the way as the space she once occupied explodes from the force. Cardin then follows up with a strike that Pyrrha blocks with her shield, but is pushed back a short distance.**

 **Cardin and Sky now double team Pyrrha, but the champion is quick to react, jumping such that they dodge Sky's attack while blocking Cardin's. Once she falls to the ground she spins, knocking the duo off their feet.**

' _I still have long way to go.'_ Jaune thinks. _'It's clear that during our evening training she's always been holding back. But to think she can fight four capable fighters at the same time…'_

 **Pyrrha flips over Cardin, throwing her shield to hit the back of his head as she does. The shield bounces to hit Sky in the face, and as it falls Pyrrha jumps to reacquire it, landing on Sky's currently knocked over body.**

 **Russel, Dove, and Cardin are all seen recovered from their earlier bouts, they then charge at Pyrrha, who quickly dispatches of Russel and launches Dove back as Cardin jumps in for a mighty blow.**

 **Pyrrha backs out of the attack before the hit can land, once she is recovered she shifts her weapon into a rifle and fires repeatedly at the incoming enemies. The bullets are meant for Cardin, but Russel has recovered just in time to cover Cardin, deflecting every shot with his daggers. He and Dove charge at Pyrrha, with Russel leaping into the air and performing a triple somersault; however, the attack is easily deflected.**

' _That's what you get!'_ Pyrrha smiles. _'Next time don't expect me to be so gentle.'_

Blake notices Pyrrha's expression, and her eyes widen in fear. _'I should definitely not do anything to get on her bad side.'_

 **Russel and Dove proceed to strike at Pyrrha together, demonstrating precision through their ability to avoid hitting one another during the attack.**

 **Cardin attempts to capitalize on the distraction, but Pyrrha is able to roll under the attack. Pyrrha takes this opportunity to go on the offensive against Cardin, pushing him back with a flurry of well-aimed blows, some being blocked but many landing solid hits.**

 **Again Russel charges in, this time lasting slightly longer before being felled. Dove follows this up hoping for a lucky strike, but is pushed back by Pyrrha. As Dove recovers from dizziness, Cardin gets up winding back a blow intended to take down Pyrrha, unfortunately he doesn't notice as he hits Dove in the face while doing so.**

"What the hell is that!" Sun points to the screen. "Hitting his own teammate during a fight! That's crazy."

"I think Cardin suffers from tunnel vision." Ruby says. "When he focuses on a target, he often completely ignores everything around him."

"That's no excuse for hitting a teammate." Sun grumbles.

"I agree." Ruby says. "It's a sign of poor teamwork."

"Russel and Dove seemed to work well together." Weiss points out. "Their combination attack was surprisingly well coordinated."

"That's in spite of poor leadership from Cardin." Pyrrha says. "Not because of it. I didn't feel like I was fighting a team of four. At best they were a team of three, with Cardin always getting in the way of everything."

 **The ground around Pyrrha shatters at the weight of Cardin's attack, but she dodges it by preforming a backflip. Pyrrha then knocks him into the air with a series of well-aimed blows, as the force of her attacks send her away from her victim, she crouches onto her shield while in mid-air and jumps off of it, allowing her to deal the finishing blow to the now badly hurt team leader.**

' _I already know I'm the weakest in my team.'_ Jaune thinks. _'That's why I concentrate on directing the team to make them more effective. Meanwhile I try to draw attacks to myself in order to give them breathing room.'_

 **The lighting in the stadium brightens as the sound of high heels is heard walking towards the competitors.**

" **And that's the match." Goodwitch announces as walks past the Cardin's crouching figure.**

" **Lucky shot." Cardin groans, before collapsing to the ground.**

"Which one?" Nora wonders. "Was it the third one, or the fifty seventh?"

" **Well done, Miss Nikos." Goodwitch congratulates. "You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament.**

" **Thank you, professor." Pyrrha nods politely.**

"Is there any doubt that Pyrrha will be chosen for the 1v1 matches?" Yang asks sarcastically.

Jaune chuckles. "Not really."

"Now let's not be too hasty." Pyrrha says. "There's still a month until the tournament, plus whatever time we spend in here, so I think…"

"Don't be too modest." Nora says bluntly. "We want team JNPR to win, so you're the obvious choice."

"Don't think we've given up on winning!" Ruby announces. "We plan on going all the way!"

' _My team doesn't stand a chance.'_ Sun thinks. _'There's no way I could have beaten CRDL with the finesse that Pyrrha showed. But like hell I'm not going to try my hardest!'_

" **Alright." Goodwitch looks up to the audience. "Now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match." Some of the students are show, including team RWBY, with Mercury and Emerald sitting behind them.**

"Rrrgh." Blake grumbles. "How dare they act so close to us." _'After what they did to poor Tukson.'_ "What are they even doing there?"

"Likely trying to gain useful information on the stronger Beacon students." Ren says. "Though why they would be doing that is still a mystery."

" **Any volunteers? Ms. Belladonna?" Goodwitch asks as Blake slams her book shut and stares wide-eyed at the teacher. "You've been rather docile for the past few classes. Why don't you…"**

 **Mercury raises his hand. "I'll do it."**

"Wait, so Mercury takes part in a fight?" Sun asks. "Who does he go against?"

"That would be me." Pyrrha waves to Sun.

" **Mercury, is it?" Goodwitch adjusts her glasses as she looks at the grey haired boy. "Very well, let's find you an opponent."**

" **Actually, I wanna fight..." Mercury points to Pyrrha "…her."**

" **Me?" Pyrrha asks in shock.**

"So how did it go?" Sun asks.

"You'll probably get to see it happen anyway." Ruby says. "But the short version is that he forfeited after being vastly outmatched."

' _I'm not too sure.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I remember him being a very strong opponent. I probably wouldn't be able to beat him without using my Semblance.'_

" **I'm afraid Miss Nikos has just finished the match. I recommend you choose another partner." Goodwitch advises.**

" **No, it's fine!" Pyrrha objects, she then turns to Mercury "I'd be happy to oblige."**

"That may have been a mistake." Weiss says.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asks, worried for his partner.

"It's likely that he wanted to first hand experience on your fighting style." Weiss says. "If he ends up fighting you again, there's a chance he may have an advantage." _'That's why I refuse to fight anyone not representing Beacon.'_

 **A short time skip occurs, the video now shows Mercury strut into the arena, visibly sizing up Pyrrha. A point is made to show Ruby watching in excitement, while Emerald is observing patiently from behind.**

 _'They're definitely gathering information.'_ Blake realises, many other doing the same. _'But why would then need to do that? Do then need to win the tournament for their plans?'_

 **Mercury charges in and kicks at Pyrrha, but she lunges forward, blocks it with her shield, and sweeps his other leg from beneath him with Miló. He falls onto his back but then kicks his legs into the air, spins on his hands, and does a double back-handspring. The two stop and stare at each other for a moment as Pyrrha stands up from a kneeling position. She runs forward to attack, but Mercury strikes first, leading her to instead block the first kick with Miló and a second with her shield, before turning around and blocking a further barrage of kicks with her shield.**

 **Pyrrha ends the barrage by hitting his leg away with Miló, creating an opening for her to ram her shield into him. He lands on his feet and slides to a stop some distance away. Apparently slightly impressed, Mercury tilts his head and gives a slight nod with a "Hm".**

"He acts so arrogant." Yang complains. "I'd love to punch that smug expression off his face!"

 **Ruby Rose turns toward Emerald sitting behind her. "Hey, your friend's doing pretty good."**

 **Emerald gives a fake smile and then rolls her eyes as Ruby turns her back.**

Ruby shakes the uneasiness off herself. _'It's so weird seeing myself act friendly to someone I now know to be… I don't know but she's definitely bad.'_

 **Mercury then leaps into the air and, with a spin, brings his foot down on Pyrrha's shield, making her jump back slightly. After landing on the floor and dropping to his hands and feet, Mercury spins with one leg out, but Pyrrha raises her foot over it and steps backward. He quickly stands and leaps into the air, kicking at her, but she blocks with her shield.**

 **As Pyrrha turns, dives, and rolls away, Mercury continues his spin, swinging his leg high in the air, only to find that she has moved away from him. He chuckles while Pyrrha instantly rights herself, crouching on the floor with her shield in front of her. She flips Miló in her hand so that the blade points behind her. Mercury then charges forward, leaps, and lands three consecutive kicks on her shield. She moves her shield to the side and begins to raise Miló, but Mercury kicks her shield, then quickly switches in mid-air and kicks the arm with which she is holding Miló, before switching once again to kick her shield.**

 **As Mercury lands the kick on her shield, Pyrrha flips Miló into the air, but before she can catch it, Mercury switches once more to kick her in the side. This forces her to move her arm forward and block the kick, time slowing as he does so.**

"That's a weird effect." Nora comments.

"It's just meant to make it more impactful." Jaune explains. "I doubt it means anything in particular."

 **He then turns away, spinning once again and leaving an opening for Pyrrha to turn around and catch Miló. Both combatants continue their spin to face each other, Pyrrha swinging Miló and Mercury kicking. Their attacks deflect each other, and Mercury turns in mid-air and kicks at Pyrrha's shield. Pyrrha swings Miló upward, scraping it against Mercury's boot, but then Mercury kicks it out of her hand.**

"At that point I knew I was going to have to go all out to win." Pyrrha says. "I was actually getting excited for a good match… until he forfeited."

"He's really that tough?" Weiss questions.

"He is." Pyrrha confirms. "He may have even won if we kept fighting."

' _That's insane.'_ Weiss thinks. _'How can someone be that skilled without becoming famous?'_

 **The two watch Miló stab into the floor, and Mercury triumphantly smirks at Pyrrha before spinning around and raising his leg up high to kick her. However, Pyrrha activates her Semblance as she moves her hand toward his boot. When her hand is about half an inch away, she repels his boot, sending him into an off-balance spin. He stumbles and drops into a kneel, gaining a thoughtful look on his face.**

' _He knows!'_ Pyrrha realises. _'He know what my Semblance is. That's supposed to be my trump card.'_

 **Hearing footsteps approaching him, Mercury looks behind him and rises to face Pyrrha, who is charging toward him shield-first.**

 **Mercury puts his right foot on Pyrrha's shield, hops up onto it, and fires a bullet to propel himself from it, spinning in the air and landing in a kneeling position. A determined look on her face, Pyrrha continues to charge toward him, this time with Miló. However, her opponent turns away from her and casually says, "I forfeit" to Glynda.**

"I don't understand why he gave up." Ruby says. "If he's so strong, then why didn't he try to win."

"He already got what he wanted." Pyrrha answers with an annoyed expression.

"What do you mean?" Yang asks.

"I think he knows what my Semblance is." Pyrrha explains. "With that, he will probably be able to beat me if we fight again and he prepares for it."

' _He can win against Pyrrha!_ ' Jaune thinks. _'I find that hard to accept as true, but if Pyrrha says so then I have to believe her.'_

 **Pyrrha almost stumbles as she stops beside him. "You... don't even want to try?"**

" **What's the point?" Mercury shrugs. "You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart."**

 **Pyrrha frowns at this, clearly annoyed.**

' _That expression!'_ Pyrrha grits her teeth. _'And that tone of voice. I may have to talk with Blake about how we're going to punish them once we leave this place.'_

" **In that case... Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match... again." Goodwitch announces.**

 **Emerald smirks. Mercury sneers smugly. Pyrrha has an annoyed and disappointed look on her face, and places her left hand on her hip. The Aura displays for Pyrrha and Mercury are shown as Mercury's is changed from green to red indicating his loss.**

" **Next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent." Goodwitch tells Mercury.**

"How did we not notice any of this earlier?" Yang asks. "It's not like they were the best at hiding their evil expressions."

"We judged them fairly." Blake says. "And since we hadn't seen them do anything wrong, we gave them the benefit of the doubt without even thinking about it." _'It's almost ironic that the thing I fight for would backfire on us all.'_

" **I'll be sure to do that." Mercury gives a backhanded wave as he leaves.**

 **With the fight over, an alarm sounds, which jolts Blake who has nodded off. Dark circles can be seen under her eyes.**

"I look terrible." Blake watches the image of herself in shock. "How did I not notice sooner."

"You were very dedicated." Yang says. "You didn't even notice that you weren't even doing your White Fang research very well."

"I what?" Blake is confused.

"You were sloppy." Weiss says. "Though that's to be expected of someone who spends roughly four hour a day sleeping."

"How did you know that?" Blake glares at the heiress.

"I guessed." Weiss answers. "And apparently I was right."

" **That is all for today." Goodwitch announces. "And remember, the dance is this weekend. But you all have your first mission on Monday. I will not accept any excuses."**

 **As everyone leaves, Mercury stops beside Emerald. "Learning is so much fun." He says, as he holds up his hands in mock excitement.**

"Then how about I teach you a lesson you'll never forget!" Nora pulls out her hammer. "First session's free."

 **Outside, SSSN are standing at the entrance as Team RWBY walks past. Sun notices Blake and runs after her.**

" **Hey, Blake!" Sun grabs Blake by her shoulder. "You uh, doing okay?"**

 **Blake shuts the book she is reading. "I'm fine."**

' _I'm definitely not fine.'_ Blake thinks. _'I look awful. Completely worn out.'_

" **So I hear there's this dance going on this weekend... ah, sounds pretty lame, but you and me, I'm thinking, not as lame, huh?" Sun says.**

"You think the dance was lame, huh." Yang glares mischievously at Sun.

"We put a lot of effort into it." Weiss gives a similar look.

Sun puts his hands up in surrender. "I didn't know you two were in charge of it. I take back any bad thinks I may have said."

"That's better." Yang smiles.

"Besides." Sun continues. "Any party good enough to make Neptune dance is pretty awesome in my book."

' _You have me to thank for that.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I wonder if we'll get to see that part.'_

" **What?" Blake replies with shock and annoyment.**

" **The dance! This weekend! You wanna go, or what?" Sun proposes.**

" **I don't have time for a stupid dance." Blake replies "I thought you of all people would get that."**

 **Blake walks away past her team. Ruby has a sad look on her face as she sees Sun slouch from his rejection.**

"So, what changed your mind?" Sun asks.

"I would rather not say." Blake answers. "Besides, we may see it happen anyway."

' _I would rather Ruby not see that.'_ Yang thinks.

" **You what?!" Blake yells, as the scene shifts to team RWBY in their dorm room.**

" **We want you to go to the dance." Ruby replies.**

"Is this it?" Sun asks.

"No." Blake replies. "It wasn't until a few days later."

" **That's ridiculous." Blake declares.**

" **Blake, we're worried about you." Yang says in concern. "This investigation is starting to mess with your head."**

 **Weiss counts the facts on her fingers. "You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering."**

"We were really worried about you." Ruby says.

"I know." Blake answers. "I was just… worried something would happen if we were too late."

"I'm glad we were able to thwart Torchwick's plans in the end." Weiss says. "Now we just have to deal with Cinder."

" **You think I care about grades?" Blake shrugs and then gestures out the window. "People's lives are at stake!"**

 **Yang puts her hand on Blake's, lowering it. "We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to."**

' _Even now we're not entirely sure.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale." Ruby points out.**

" **And, the Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months." Weiss adds.**

" **Don't forget about their missing military tech too." Yang says.**

"So there was more?" Nora asks. "What happened to it?"

"We had to fight a few Paladins while making our way across the underground train." Ruby explains. "Well, actually it was just me and Oobleck that fought them."

" **But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake retorts.**

" **Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!" Ruby says.**

" **All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day." Yang says.**

' _This is the kind of friendship that I needed.'_ Blake thinks. _'If anything were to happen to them, I don't know what I would do.'_

" **It will be fun!" Weiss declares. "Yang and I will make sure of it."**

" **Yeah!" Yang agrees. "We're planning the whole event!" She pumps her fists which causes the bed to bounce Blake.**

" **Excuse me?" Blake asks accusingly.**

" **Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected." Weiss explains.**

' _I was actually getting worried about them.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'It's not unheard of for students to die while on a mission.'_

" **So, Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off." Yang says, "And now we can make sure you have the perfect night."**

" **And once it's all over, we'll return for our search, rested and ready." Weiss smiles.**

"It's not as if we would have been able to get to Mountain Glenn sooner." Yang points out. "The kingdom's border are very well guarded, especially in that area."

"And even if we could get there, I doubt we'd have been able to find their base without missing classes." Weiss agrees.

"You really think classes matter that much?" Blake asks.

"Of course not!" Weiss is offended by the accusation. "I mean that we wouldn't be able to do anything without arising suspicion from the teachers."

" **So what do ya think?" Ruby asks.**

 **After a brief pause, Blake responds "I think this is a colossal waste of time."**

 **Blake walks away from the group and opens the dorm door. "I'll be in the library." She walks out of the room.**

' _I don't think I slept at all that night.'_ Blake thinks. _'I was far too focused on research.'_

 **Yang sighs. "Great."**

" **She can't keep going on like this." Weiss points out.**

 **There's a knock at the door and Weiss approaches and opens it. Jaune appears at the door, playing a guitar. "Weiss!" he sings, then winks at her.**

Jaune covers his face in shame. Meanwhile Pyrrha winces at the sight and even Ren groans.

Weiss crosses her arms. "If the next person to speak isn't me. Bad things will happen." She declares this with such poise, that everyone believes her.

 **Weiss slams the door in his face.**

" **Oh, come on, open the door!" Jaune knocks on the doorframe. "I promise not to sing."**

' _Please don't open the door.'_ Jaune thinks. But he knows what's going to happen anyway.

 **Weiss opens the door.**

" **I lied!" Jaune sings. "Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance on... Sunday!?"**

' _Shut up you idiot.'_ Jaune tells himself. _'Just take a hint and walk away.'_

" **Are you done?" Weiss asks.**

" **Yes?" Jaune shrugs.**

" **No." Weiss then shuts the door in his face. Turning around, she sees the others staring at her. "What?"**

"You can talk now." Weiss announces. "But I advise you not to bring it up."

"This is getting annoying." Yang says. "No offense Jaune, but it was hard putting up with you at times like that."

"Trust me. This is harder on me than it is for you." Jaune replies.

"Thankfully, I believe that was the last time something like that happened." Weiss says.

' _That's only from your perspective.'_ Jaune thinks.

 **Both girls are standing precariously. "And that is why they call you the Ice Queen." Yang says.**

"That and the snowflake." Present Yang adds.

" **All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name." Weiss complains. "Besides, I already have a date in mind."**

"Just so you know, I wasn't doing it because of that." Jaune says. "Not that it matters anymore."

' _I find that hard to believe.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Then again, he didn't know anything about Pyrrha. So it's entirely possible that he didn't know the full extent of my families reach. Though I doubt I would have cared anyway.'_

" **Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go." Ruby says.**

' _You could try caring about yourself for once.'_ Blake thinks. _'I doubt Weiss planned the dance just so others could have a good time.'_

 **Later, elsewhere, Pyrrha and Jaune are sparring at their spot on the roof. Jaune appears to gain the upper hand until Pyrrha sweeps his legs out from under him.**

"How did I miss that?" Jaune complains. "It's not as if you attacked very fast."

"It means you've improved since then." Pyrrha says. "I'm sure you would win against your past self with very few problems."

"Thanks." Jaune smiles. "That means a lot."

" **Well done!" Pyrrha laughs. "Your swordplay's improved immensely." She helps Jaune to his feet.**

" **I couldn't have done it without you." Jaune responds.**

" **So, are you ready to move on to Aura?" Pyrrha asks.**

" **I'm actually thinking maybe we just skip Aura for tonight?" Jaune looks uncomfortable. "Might go on a jog or something."**

" **Come on, I know you get frustrated, but you must keep trying. I'm sure you'll discover your Semblance any day now." Pyrrha tries to reassure him.**

' _Still haven't found it yet.'_ Jaune grimaces. _'Am I doomed to be one of those people who never learn their Semblance? I really hope the future videos will show it.'_

" **That's not it. It's just..." Jaune hesitates. "It's dumb."**

" **What is it?" Pyrrha approaches Jaune and places her hand on his shoulder. "Jaune, you know you can tell me."**

" **It's... Weiss." Jaune answers.**

"I'm such an idiot." Jaune grumbles. _'What was I thinking? Talking about her at a time like that.'_

" **Oh." Pyrrha's face falls slightly. "What about her?"**

" **I asked her to the dance and she shot me down." Jaune giggles half-heartedly. "Big surprise, right?"**

" **Well, I believe the saying goes: There's... plenty of fish in the sea." Pyrrha says.**

' _Come on, take a hint.'_ Ruby thinks. _'It can't be that hard to notice.'_

" **That's easy for you to say." Jaune responds. "You've probably got guys clamouring over each other just to ask you out."**

' _That wouldn't surprise me.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I had plenty of people hitting on me back in Atlas. I doubt it was any different for her.'_

 **Pyrrha chuckles half-heartedly. "You'd be surprised." You can almost hear the pain in her voice.**

 **Jaune dismisses the thought. "Oh please. If you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress. Heh."**

"That's why you wore the dress!?" Yang yells in surprise.

"An Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune declares. "Besides, did you think that I cross-dressed for no reason?"

"I just thought that…" Yang pauses, realising she doesn't have an answer. "I actually have no idea."

"Well you were certainly brave." Sun says to Jaune. "I doubt Neptune would have the courage to do that."

"Definitely not." Jaune agrees. _'He didn't even want to be seen dancing badly.'_

 **Jaune walks away. Pyrrha drops her smile and looks rather upset.**

' _Did Pyrrha really not get asked?'_ Weiss thinks. _'But why not? What makes her so different from me?'_

 **The scene changes to Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald in their dorm room. Cinder is sewing a black dress as she sits on one of the beds. Emerald is sitting on the floor while looking at her Scroll, and Mercury is lying on the ground and reading a comic book.**

"And now back to the important parts." Ren says, his pen at the ready.

" **And finally, Pyrrha Nikos." Emerald says.**

" **Ah, the invincible girl." Cinder recalls.**

"What are they doing?" Jaune asks with worry for her partner.

"Likely going through all the strongest students at Beacon." Weiss says. "Though 'why' is the real question."

" **She's smart, but I wouldn't say invincible." Mercury speaks up.**

" **Do tell." Cinder urges.**

" **Her Semblance is Polarity." Emerald explains. "But you'd never know just by watching."**

"They really do know." Pyrrha say. "I thought I was careful not to move his boots too much."

" **After she made contact with my boots, she was able to move them around however she wanted." Mercury throws away his comic. "But she only made slight adjustments."**

"Well he's wrong there." Pyrrha points out. "I don't actually need to touch anything if I want to move it."

"We could use this as an advantage." Weiss says. "Make him think this conclusion is correct, so that you can beat him later."

" **Just enough to make it look like she's untouchable." Emerald leans on one knee. "She doesn't broadcast her power, so it puts her opponent at a disadvantage."**

"That's one advantage you have on the rest of us." Yang admits. "Other than you and Ren, our Semblances are all well known around the campus."

' _I wonder if I'll be able to hide my Semblance.'_ Jaune thinks. _'It would be good to have it as a trump card.'_

" **Hmm... People assume that she's fated for victory, when she's really taking fate into her own hands." Cinder appears to be thinking on this. "Interesting. Add her to the list."**

 **Emerald taps on her scroll.**

"List?" Nora sounds really worried. "As in hit list?"

"Possibly." Ren admits. "Though we can't be too sure about that."

" **You should be able to take her no problem." Mercury says to Cinder.**

" **It's not about overpowering the enemy." Cinder explains. "It's about taking away what power they have. And we will, in time."**

' _What does that mean?'_ Ren wonders a he jots it down. _'How do they plan on taking away our powers?'_

 **Mercury falls to lay on the ground. "I hate waiting."**

" **Don't worry, Mercury. We have a fun weekend ahead of us." Cinder brings up her sowing needle as the screen turns to black.**

"Not long until we see the reason she was at the CCT." Blake says. _'We may finally have a clue as to what their plans are.'_

"Then there's no point waiting." Ruby announces, as she starts the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Pyrrha vs CRDL fight

Emerald and Mercury gathering information on the students

Pyrrha vs Mercury

Do they plan on winning the tournament?

Mercury now familiar with Pyrrha's fighting style

Mercury strong enough to force Pyrrha to use Semblance

Mercury possibly stronger than Pyrrha

Mercury knows Pyrrha's semblance? (confirmed)

Unimportant events happen

Cinder and co plotting in room

Going through strongest Beacon (and possibly more) students

They think Pyrrha needs prior contact

Pyrrha added to list – What is list? Hit list, recruitment list (must confirm what it is)

Cinder weaving Dust into clothes

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I've been considering making a forum thread where I can talk about my future plans and have other people give their opinions on it. Should I do this and if yes, what forum should it be under?**

 **The last chapter used up most of my planned out of viewing scenes. If you could share ideas for the next WoR chapter then that would be helpful.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	23. V2: C6: Burning the Candle

**A/N**

 **I've said it before so I'll say it again, pairings will follow cannon. The only exception being Jaune/Pyrrha (for obvious reasons).However, just because two people get together doesn't mean it should affect their relations in this fic much. The only real difference will be being more open to discussing their feelings with each other (feelings on other thing).**

 **Thank you 'Miraculous Pink Ninja' for pointing out my spelling mistake. It has been fixed.**

 **I would like to mention that the reviews are not meant for people to have back and forth arguments. If you have something important to say, then make sure you accept private messaging. That way people don't inflate the amount of reviews just to respond to another person. My last chapter has the most reviews for this reason alone.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 6: Burning the Candle**

"Anyone know what that means?" Ruby asks.

"Burning the candle at both ends." Weiss quotes. "It means to harshly exhaust yourself, often by overworking while getting minimal sleep."

"That would be me." Blake glances down sorrowfully. _'I was such an idiot. Thinking I'd be able to help anyone like that.'_

 **The opening ends to the view of a glum Ruby resting her head on her hand and staring into the distance before she's startled by someone slamming their palms on the table she's at.**

" **I need you to pick a tablecloth." Weiss slides two squares over to Ruby, both seeming to be similar shades of white.**

"I… can't tell the difference." Nora looks at them closely.

"The one on the right is clearly lighter." Weiss says. "Though I never expected you to be able to tell."

"It's not like it really matters." Yang points out. "People aren't coming to the party to admire the shade of the tablecloth."

"It does matter!" Weiss protests. "Even the smallest thing can change someone's impression. So I had to be meticulous with the finer details."

' _That may be the case in the parties your family runs. But people attending combat schools are rarely so picky.'_ Yang thinks.

 **Ruby looks at them, confused "Aren't they both the same?".**

 **Weiss sighs in frustration. "I don't even know why I asked!"**

 **Weiss walks out of the scene as Yang comes in carrying a massive sound speaker on her shoulder, which bounces her sister and the table she's moping on again to jump in the air when she drops it on the ground.**

 **Yang brushes her hands as she approaches Ruby. "So, have you picked out a dress yet?"**

"Urgh!" Ruby recalls her outfit. "Why couldn't I wear my normal clothes? It has a skirt."

"That would hardly be appropriate." Weiss says. "Especially with all the weapon accessories."

"Fine." Ruby relents. "But I refuse to wear those high heels ever again."

' _That means I'll have to find a substitute for next year.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **What's the point?" Ruby replies. "Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going?"**

' _This must have been really hard on her.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I should have payed more attention to my friends, rather than just focusing on my own problems.'_

" **Oh, don't worry; she's going." Yang then looks over to the side. "Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!"**

"Doilies are a bit high class for something like a school dance." Present Yang adds.

"I simply wanted everyone to enjoy a few luxuries." Weiss responds.

 **Weiss walks up to Yang, pointing in her face. "If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!"**

 **The girls are interrupted by the sound of doors opening.**

" **Your dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune asks, as he walks in with Sun.**

"I can't remember any fog." Ruby comments.

"You were probably already gone by then." Yang says. "We didn't turn them on until shortly after midnight."

 **Weiss steps up to Neptune, putting on a sweet smile. "We were thinking about it..."**

" **That's pretty cool." Neptune comments.**

' _How did I not notice earlier.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I should have payed more attention, rather than following a fantasy.'_

" **You ladies all excited for dress-up?" Sun comes into the scene, acting suave to Weiss' ire.**

" **Pfft... Yeah, right!" Ruby answers in clear reluctance.**

" **Laugh all you want. I'll be turning heads tomorrow night!" Yang says with confidence.**

"And I did!" Present Yang agrees.

"What were you wearing?" Sun asks. _'I must have been too focused on Blake to notice.'_

"Nothing too special." Yang replies smugly. "I only needed to rely on my own appearance to get people's attention."

" **What are you two wearing?" Weiss asks Sun and Neptune.**

" **Uuhhh... this?" Sun gestures to his current shirtless outfit.**

 **Neptune steps up and holds a hand in front of his friend's face. "Ignore him for he knows not what he says."**

 **Sun knocks Neptune's hand away. "Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place."**

" **Yeah, we've noticed." Yang agrees.**

"So why did you wear the tie in the end?" Yang asks.

"Neptune forced me to." Sun replies. "He threatened to… reveal certain things if I wasn't dressed appropriately."

"I thought you looked good in a tie." Blake says.

Sun smiles at this. "I guess it was okay then."

" **Soooo... what does Blake think of all this?" Sun rubs the back of his head. "She still being all, y'know... Blakey?"**

"Blakey?" Blake raises an eyebrow.

"I just meant to an extreme." Sun says. "You're fine the way you are now."

Blake rolls her eyes while smiling.

" **Obviously." Weiss turns and crosses her arms in disapproval."**

" **I still can't think of a way to change her mind." Ruby leans her head on her hand.**

" **Guys." Yang chimes in, causing everyone to look at her as she starts walking out. "Trust me; Blake will be at the dance tomorrow."**

"I guess this means we will be seeing how you changed her mind." Ruby says to her sister.

"That's… great." Yang replies nervously. _'I really didn't want Ruby to see that. But I'm sure she won't be mad about it. It's Ruby after all.'_

 **Meanwhile, the Faunus herself is sitting at one of the library tables with a holographic screen in front of her. She is obviously more sleep-deprived than ever, barely focusing on what she's seeing... until a small, bright red light appears on the screen. Moving up and down, Blake's eyes follow it down to her hand, then disappears entirely. She looks behind herself, obviously irritated, but no one walking among the tables is her culprit.**

Blake tenses up in shame and embarrassment. _'They're going to see me acting like that. Why couldn't it just skip this part? I was only like that because I was tired from a lack of sleep.'_

 **Turning back to the computer, Blake starts typing on the beeping keyboard before the laser dot appears on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one. The red point shows up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake scowls and pounds her fists on the table. She stands up from her chair and finds the light on the floor, following it blindly through shelves of books.**

"So that was…" Jaune coughs into his hand. "Unusual."

"I was suffering from a lack of sleep." Blake defends herself. "I wasn't thinking completely clearly."

"Do all Faunus take on their respective animals traits in such a way?" Nora asks.

"Not to this extent." Sun explains. "It's usually little things like diet, or my tendency to climb trees. One of the bigger outliers would be how some, like owl Faunus, have difficulty sleeping when it's dark."

"Thanks." Blake says softly, so only Sun can hear it. _'If you hadn't changed the subject, I don't know what I'd have done.'_

 **Both the dot and its pursuer turn the corner, only for Blake to bump, shocked and shaken out of her more 'animal' instincts, into...**

" **He-lloooo!" Yang sings as she puts away the laser pointer in her hand.**

 **Blake tries to question her "What are you...?"**

" **We need to talk." Yang interrupts, grabbing Blake's arm.**

 **And with that, amid Blake's single cry of surprise, Yang whisks her partner out of the scene.**

"Don't ever do that to me again." Blake whispers to Yang.

"I won't." Yang nods her head slightly.

 **Elsewhere, Ren emerges from the steaming bathroom in nothing but a pink towel wrapped around his lower body, he sighs in contentedness and starts walking away, only to be stopped by Jaune suddenly appearing in front of him.**

" **We need to talk!" Jaune says.**

 **And with that, amid Ren's single cry of surprise, Jaune pulls his teammate away, leaving his bottle of Shampoo to spin in the air before dropping to the ground.**

"That's a strange parallel to see." Weiss brings up. "Did it happen exactly as we just saw it?"

"Yep." Yang confirms, not wanting to go into more detail.

"It is." Jaune confirms, uncomfortable about how everyone will be seeing his talk with Ren.

 **The scene shifts to Jaune sitting on his bed in the dorm room, talking to Ren, who is off-screen. "Ren... I'm just gonna say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've really bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're really quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you, personally, but darnit, I consider you to be the brother I never had!"**

"Pretty sure Nora's the only one who knows much about Ren personally." Yang says.

"What can I say?" Nora responds. "I'm a natural Ren expert."

"We've spent most of our lives together." Ren explains to everyone.

"But not together-together." Nora clarifies, though this time she has a slight blush that no one notices.

 **The camera pans out enough to see that Ren is still only wearing his towel and looking extremely uncomfortable, but he still nods and smiles to Jaune when he's done. "And I you." He then tries to be attentive from then on, but keeps glancing at his usual outfit hanging by the door.**

"You didn't even let him get dressed?" Ruby asks.

"I…erm….yeah." Jaune admits, embarrassed. He then turns to Ren. "Sorry about that."

"All is forgiven." Ren replies. _'I just wish Nora wasn't there at the time.'_

" **Which is why I wanted to get your advice on... girls." Jaune says uncomfortably.**

" **Girls?" Ren sounds surprised, but starts reaching out for his clothes while Jaune is looking away.**

"So this is the fabled 'Guy talk'" Yang says.

"Oh no." Weiss sighs. _'This is going to be about me, isn't it?'_

" **I just... don't know... how to... girls." Jaune struggles to find the words. "Um, I-I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora... y'know..."**

" **Uh... uh... uh..." Ren puts his hand down after almost touching the green robe, but looks even more awkward now.**

' _Does everyone really think we're together-together?'_ Nora thinks. _'I guess it would make sense from there perspective but… not yet.'_

 **Nora clears her throat to get the boys' attention on her, she's wearing nothing but her emblazoned headphones, a 'BOOP' T-shirt, and pink lightning bolt underwear as she reads a book resting on her knees, before she laughs nervously. "We're not actually, together-together..."**

" **NORA, I SAID HEADPHONES ON!" Jaune yells. Nora quickly does so under her leader's command.**

"Wait, so you did this with Nora in the room!?" Sun asks in shock.

"Well…" Jaune looks around uncomfortably. "Yeah, I wasn't thinking it through. I was just really focused on what I wanted to talk about."

"Be careful about that." Ruby says. "I'm sure Blake can tell you how bad that can be for your health."

Blake sighs. "Let's just get on with it."

 **Ren now focuses on his friend fully. "Jaune, what is this all about?"**

 **Jaune sighs deeply before speaking, obviously depressed by staring at the floor as he talks. "It's Weiss."**

"Of course it is." Weiss groans. "And here I thought it was over."

"Not much longer." Jaune tells her. "By the time we get to the dance, neither of us will have to put up with it."

 **Jaune continues. "I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I-I just wish she'd take me seriously, y'know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up."**

"That's really how you thought of me?" Weiss asks. Jaune's words being quite enlightening to her.

"It was." Jaune admits. "But I shouldn't have tried to push myself on you." _'In the end, the most important thing is to make sure the feelings are mutual.'_

"I appreciate having you think so highly of me. But no." Weiss's words, while seemingly harsh, are full of respect. _'We should all be grown up enough to move past this. Better to make things clear now.'_

" **Then do it." Pyrrha is heard off-screen.**

 **Jaune looks up to see Pyrrha in the doorway, with Ren and Nora doing the same. "Uh, wha?"**

" **Tell her exactly what you said." Pyrrha walks into the room. "No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just... be honest."**

' _If only I could be completely honest.'_ Pyrrha thinks. She then steels herself, _'I'll tell him after we've seen the dance. It doesn't have to mean much, more just confirming what our relationship is.'_

Meanwhile, Yang asks her own question. "Did you have the door open the entire time?"

"I… don't think so." Jaune scratches his head.

"They didn't." Pyrrha confirms. "I had just gotten back from something…" _'Can't remember what it was.'_ "…and opened the door to, this conversation."

 **Jaune asks. "But what if I…"**

" **Jaune." Pyrrha smiles at him. "You can't get it wrong if it's the truth."**

' _In a way she's right.'_ Weiss agrees. _'But in this situation, the entire premise is wrong.'_

 **Jaune looks up with a new confidence. "You're right." He stands up. "Thanks, Pyrrha!" He looks back to his bed as he goes out. "Good talk, Ren!"**

"What did Ren do?" Sun questions.

"He listened to the entire thing while dressed only in a towel." Yang points out. "That sounds pretty impressive to me."

' _It's not something I want to live through again.'_ Ren thinks. _'I hope next time I have proper clothes on.'_

 **Ren smiles and waves his thanks while Jaune closes the door. Upon doing so, Pyrrha becomes noticeably less cheerful as she walks over to her desk.**

 **Nora watches this with a sad and concerned look in her eyes. "Practice what you preach, Pyrrha."**

' _I need to talk to Pyrrha at some point.'_ Jaune realises. _'Perhaps then we can sort this all out.'_

 **The scene cuts to one of the classrooms, devoid of life except for Yang who is sitting on the teacher's desk, and Blake who is wandering around her.**

" **Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath." Blake says.**

' _And here it is.'_ Yang thinks. _'One of my most personal secrets, about to be laid bare for everyone to see.'_

" **I don't want you to stop." Yang replies calmly. "I want you to slow down."**

 **Blake continues to pace with arms crossed, still irritated. "We don't have the luxury to slow down."**

" **It's not a luxury; it's a necessity." Yang says.**

"I was being stupid." Blake admits. "I should have noticed how it was affecting me."

"We know." Ruby nods. "Just don't let it happen again. Please."

"I won't." Blake promises.

" **The necessity is stopping Torchwick." Blake stresses.**

" **And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." Yang pats the part of the desk across from her.**

 **Blake looks away for a moment until she relents and drapes her legs over the desk's edge. "Fine."**

' _I wonder what Yang says that finally opens Blakes eyes.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I hope it's not anything weird.'_

 **Yang tells her story. "Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom."**

' _It's about us!'_ Ruby realises. _'But how do we relate to Blakes situation in any way?'_

" **Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then... one day she left for a mission and never came back." Yang looks down as she says this, and Blake looks sorry for her.**

Ruby immediately becomes sad at this. But she chooses not to let it show, instead watching the screen patiently.

" **It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first... was my mom." Blake looks amazed at this information as Yang keeps talking.**

' _I thought something like that might be going on.'_ Sun thinks. _'While they both seem very similar, it's hard not to tell that they have far too many physical differences.'_ He doesn't say anything though, as he knows that wouldn't be appropriate.

" **He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since."**

' _I'm still not sure if that was her on the train.'_ Yang thinks. Then her eyes widen in realisation. _'These videos are going to show it! There's no way they would skip something like that. So I may finally get some answers. I'll even be able to see what discoveries I make in the future once we get to those parts.'_ Her body tenses up in anticipation. _'After all this time, I'll finally get some answers!'_

" **Why did she leave you?" Blake asks.**

 **Yang sighs, then turns to the chalkboard. "That question... Why?" She gets off the desk and walks to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk. "I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her."**

' _Is that what Yang does when she goes off on her own?'_ Ruby realises. _'But then why hasn't she ever told me about it? I could have helped her. I still can.'_

 **As the reminiscent blonde starts drawing on the board, the scene shifts to a flat-painted flashback of a young Yang, with orange bows holding her pigtails, looking at the photo found in a smashed picture frame. "Then, one day, I found something." Yang narrates the story. "What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother."**

"So we get to see it as a flashback." Weiss says. "Has anything like this happened in a previous video?"

"We have." Ren supplies. "Remember when Blake told Sun about how she left the White Fang."

Blake ignores this and decides to start her own conversation. "I didn't know you used to have pigtails Yang."

"Yeah." Yang smiles. "Now I prefer to let it flow freely." _'If I recall correctly, that was around the time I discovered my Semblance.'_

" **I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out." The next shot shows Yang walking down a long winding path through the towering trees shedding their leaves with a little creaking wagon pulled right behind her, a little sister in a crimson hood sleeping soundly inside. "I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me."**

' _I think I understand why she chose to tell this story.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Going out alone like that… even on patch it must be extremely dangerous at that age.'_

" **When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes..." In the shadows of the worn-down house the siblings had arrived at, beastly red eyes glow from the darkness as growling is heard.**

' _So I was right.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

' _This happened!?'_ Ruby watches the scene play out. _'I can't remember anything like that. Yang never mentioned something like this. She must have wanted to keep me in the dark.'_ She looks over to her sister, who can be seen trembling slightly. _'I guess I can understand why.'_

" **There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help." Young Yang looks at the Grimm in terror. "We might as well have been served on a silver platter." Beowolf figures lunge at the poor girl.**

' _I don't think I've ever been so scared, so powerless.'_ Yang recalls. _'After I was scolded, I promised myself I would gain the strength to never have to feel like that ever again.'_

" **But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time." The beowolves are split in half and a new figure appears, wielding a large scythe.**

"Uncle Qrow." Ruby mutters under her breath. _'That's what it means to be a hunter. To fight monsters and save those who are in need of saving.'_

 **Qrows silhouette fades away to present day, where Yang has just finished drawing a clockwork eye. "My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night."**

"And there it is." Yang announces out loud. "My greatest shame… laid out for everyone to see. And to top it all off, it was shown with a beautiful art style." Her voice seething with self-mockery.

"Yang." Ruby looks at her sister with a bright smile. "It's okay."

Yang smiles back. "Thanks." _'But that still doesn't mean it can be something I'm proud of.'_

" **Yang... I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different." Blake protests. "I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just…"**

" **I told you: I'm not telling you to stop!" Yang clenches her fist on the blackboard frame. "I haven't! To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?"**

' _It's honestly shocking how much thought Yang has put into this.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **You don't understand!" Blake complains. "I'm the only one who can do this!"**

"Sounds like someone's got a bit of an ego." Nora jokes.

"It's how I like to deal with these kind of problems." Blake says. "Better to put in the effort yourself, than wait for someone else to do it for you. If everyone thought of these things as someone else's problem, then we would never fix the issues with society."

' _Here I was, making a joke. And you decided to make it all philosophical.'_ Nora thinks.

" **No, you don't understand!" Yang turns around sharply to reveal red eyes and the sound of flames. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?"**

" **I'd fight him!" Blake declares.**

" **You'd lose!" Yang pushes Blake away.**

" **I can stop him!" Blake tiredly tries to do the same to Yang, but she doesn't even budge.**

" **You can't even stop me!" Yang pushes back again, knocking Blake to land on the desk.**

"I actually did beat him in a fight." Blake says. "Though that was after several nights of good sleep."

 **Yang, still angry-eyed, walks toward Blake as she gets up, but then does the unexpected and embraces her in a hug, her eyes going back to their normal purple.**

" **I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest." Yang pulls back to look at her partner. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about."**

' _That's such a touching moment.'_ Sun smiles at the screen. _'I'm so glad Yang got through to her. It was almost painful to watch Blake push herself so hard.'_

 **Yang steps away and starts walking past the startled Blake, who turns when she says over her shoulder. "And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance." She winks.**

' _That makes sense.'_ Sun nods at the idea. _'Yang did help her recover, after all.'_

 **Blake stares at Yang as she leaves before sighing heavily and walking away, leaving the all-seeing eye on the board.**

"What symbol is that meant to be?" Jaune asks.

"Uncle Qrows." Ruby answers. "Though I think it's been drawn the wrong way around."

"I keep telling you, it doesn't matter." Yang argues. "It doesn't always have to be in the right direction."

 **In a different location Jaune walks forward with a white rose in his hand as he walks through Beacon Academy. Until he stops at the entrance of a hallway with the sound of a certain voice, causing him to duck behind the columns outside.**

" **Neptune!" Weiss walks past Jaune without noticing him as he peeks around the corner and sees her approaching Neptune.**

"Oh no." Weiss stare at the screen. "You saw!" she directs her voice to Jaune.

"Yeah." Jaune replies sheepishly. "But not all of it. I actually missed his reply."

' _What are they talking about?'_ Ruby wonders. _'It sounds like Weiss asks Neptune to the dance. But I only remember them getting together mid-way through the dance.'_

" **Oh, uh, hey, what's up?" Neptune greets Weiss.**

" **I know this is a little unorthodox, but... I wanted to ask you something." Weiss puts her hands behind her back trying to look innocent as Jaune drops his smile and recoils at the oncoming words. "Would you... like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?"**

' _So this is how it ended.'_ Pyrrha realises. _'While I feel bad for Jaune, having to go through that, it was probably for the best that it was shown so clearly to him.'_

 **While Neptune rubs the back of his head and smiles with raised eyebrows, Jaune loses all of his confidence and drops the rose on the ground before walking back from where he came from.**

"And that's it!" Jaune announces. "From here on, we will never have to deal with all of that, ever again."

"About time." Weiss sighs in relief. "I was getting worried that it would never end."

 **The sight of the lonely, abandoned rose turns into a large collection of the same flowers, one dropping outward, in a large vase behind Yang, now in a short white dress with black heels as she stands at a podium. The dance has started, and Yang is there to greet people at the entrance. The doors in front of her open and she flips out upon seeing who walks in.**

" **Ooohh, you look beautiful!" Yang squeals in excitement.**

"Urgh… never again." Ruby groans. "I refuse to be separated from my hood like that ever again."

 **Ruby groans as she looks distressed in her red dress with black lace, belt, and pumps. "Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" She tries to maintain her balance as she walks to the podium, much to her laughing sister's amusement.**

"Practice." Weiss answers. "In the upper society it's impossible for a woman to attend parties without learning to use heels as if they are your own feet. At least if you don't want to be laughed at." She recalls an unfortunate incident one noble woman had.

 **Meanwhile outside, Sun is seen walking around and wearing a new black jacket (now closed up) with a white tie hung around his neck, which he proceeds to fight with. "Stupid... dumb... neck trap!"**

"They're not that bad." Jaune says.

"Well I'm not used to it, okay!" Sun complains. "Besides, it's wrong for a person to feel so constricted."

' _I'd like to hear you say that in Atlas.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **I knew you'd look better in a tie." Blake says from off-screen.**

"That sounds like what Sun said to you before!" Nora says, proud of having noticed.

"This is what I was going for." Blake admits.

"What are you talking about?" Sun asks, not getting the reference.

"Remember how you told Blake she looks better without the bow." Nora says. "It sounds like that."

"Oh yeah." Sun snaps his fingers in realisation.

 **Sun stops his struggling and stares at the dark purple dress worn by Blake, now looking like she traded her dark bags for violet eyeshadow, as she steps forward and takes him by the arm.**

' _Wow she looks beautiful.'_ Sun thinks. _'Even now I find it hard to get over it.'_

" **So, does this mean we're going... together?" Sun asks.**

" **Technically, though my first dance is spoken for." Blake replies.**

"And now I know why." Sun declares.

 **Inside the ballroom, streamers are hung through glass chandeliers, pink and blue balloons are everywhere, and students in dark suits and bright dresses are stepping with each other to the music between the white-clothed tables. Blake is spun around by Yang before they curtsey to one another, and Sun comes up and takes his date's hands as Yang gestures for him to do so. She goes to hang with Ruby and Weiss (in a similar white dress as Yang's) in the back of the room, watching Blake laugh and enjoy herself before smiling at her team.**

"I don't think I've seen you with such a cheerful expression outside of that one time." Yang comments. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks." Blake smiles. "For everything. I really needed that one night."

"It's no problem." Yang responds. "What are friends for?"

" **I told you she would come." Yang says.**

" **Mission accomplished." Weiss agrees.**

" **So, what do we do now?" Ruby turns to her teammates.**

' _I really don't know what to do during a dance.'_ Ruby thinks. _'A part of me was glad to see a masked figure infiltrate the CCT. At least then I didn't have to deal with doing nothing for the rest of the night.'_

" **Just have fun!" Yang answers, as she proceeds to walk away and do so, with Weiss going the opposite direction and leaving Ruby behind.**

" **Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?" Ruby shouts to Yang, but upon receiving no answer, she waddles around in her painful footwear. "Stupid lady stilts!"**

"And why did you think I would give you permission to change?" Yang asks sarcastically.

"You said to have fun." Ruby replies. "I can't do that while wearing such an irritating outfit."

" **Not enjoying yourself?" Ozpin walks into the scene from behind Ruby.**

' _It seems we may get some more insight into Ozpin.'_ Ren thinks.

 **Ruby is surprised to see the headmaster step up by her side, but shakes her head and laughs. "Oh, no, everything's fine! I'm just not much of a fancy pantsy... dancey girl."**

" **Well, you can't spend your whole life on the battlefield, even if you may want to." Ozpin says.**

 **Ruby crosses her arms, looking annoyed. "Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately."**

' _I wish I could be a Huntress at all times.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I feel like… being a Huntress is what I'm supposed to do. I'm just lucky it's also something I enjoy.'_

 **Ozpin stares out at the dancing couples. "If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot."**

 **Ruby looks down at her own feet. "Or a twisted ankle." She grumbles.**

"Still better than what a Grimm can do to you." Pyrrha comments.

' _At least I feel comfortable while fighting Grimm.'_ Ruby thinks.

" **It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this." Ozpin says. "Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget."**

"Doubt anyone could ever forget something like this." Weiss mentions. "Especially with the stunt Jaune pulled."

"I made a promise." Jaune defends himself. "And I will not apologise for keeping my word."

"In that case, you should be careful not to say you'll do anything too crazy." Yang says.

 **Ruby smiles at the words of wisdom, but turns her head at the sound of the doors opening. Yang is back behind the podium, and smiles at the new arrivals. "You guys are just in time."**

" **Wouldn't miss it for the world." Mercury says as he and Emerald step in with their ballroom best on before the screen goes black.**

"Then in comes these assholes." Nora says. "Sorta wish they never got invited now."

Weiss however, is not listening. Instead she is gathering her own thoughts. "Are Mercury and Emerald important to the CCT infiltration somehow?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks. "I can't remember anyone else being there."

"Just the way the screen lingered on them." Weiss answers. "I doubt they didn't have any part in it."

"Only one way to find out." Ruby starts the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Party preparations

Jaune has talk with team

Yang has talk with Blake

Possibility of Yang's mother becoming important

Party begins

Ozpin has a chat with Ruby

Ozpin seems to truly value bonds, seems to encourage making friendships.

Emerald and Mercury appear - strong possibility of being involved with CCT incident.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **As you may have noticed, I have neither a profile pic or a fiction pic. I don't feel comfortable using something that I just find randomly on the internet, and I have no artistic talent. So if someone has a good solution, it would be very much appreciated (I only really need an image for the fic).**

 **I would also like advice on if I should change the fic description. If you think I do, then please tell me what else I need to include.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	24. V2: C7: Dance Dance Infiltration

**A/N**

 **I may have miscommunicated something last chapter. I highly encourage people to ask questions. The problem is when people use the reviews for something that doesn't relate to this story.**

 **I have backups so there is no need to worry.**

 **There's no doubt that Ironwoods actions greatly increased the casualties at the Fall of Beacon. However this was clearly not his intent, and you can't blame him for thinking it would have a positive outcome instead.**

 **Thanks you EmD23 for reminding be about the earlier flashback. If anyone spots a mistake then don't hesitate to tell me.**

 **I mentioned in an earlier chapter that I would eventually change my update schedule to one per week. Now is that time, it's been nice having feedback so often but I just don't want to be on as tight a schedule as I was before.**

 **I notice that people seem to be in a perpetual state of being excited for a certain chapter that comes up soon. First it was Jaunedice. Then it was Black and White. This seems to be the next big chapter, so I really hope I've done it justice.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 7: Dance Dance Infiltration**

"It seems we will be seeing the details of Cinders infiltration of the tower." Weiss says. "Hopefully we'll get to know what she was attempting."

"We'd better." Blake comments. "I've been looking forward to this for a while."

 **After the opening, the first scene is of random students schmoozing at the dance. Dr Oobleck is shown to be listening intently as Professor Port laughs over some unheard anecdote. Ozpin is standing off to the side with Goodwitch until General Ironwood offers his hand for her to dance with him.**

"So there is something going on between the two of them." Nora says.

"I told you." Yang responds. "Though all my efforts to find the exact details of their relationship have been for naught. Based on this alone, I am fairly certain there's at least something between them."

 **Jaune approaches Ruby, who is standing pensively near the refreshments tables. "I see you're hiding at the punch bowl too."**

" **Yep." Ruby emphasises the 'p'.**

"Come on sis." Yang complains. "You should have taken this opportunity to get to know more people."

"But it's so weird." Ruby stresses. "Everyone was doing their own thing, and I didn't want to make a fool of myself."

' _And here I thought we were making progress.'_ Yang thinks. _'I guess old habits die hard.'_

" **To the socially awkward." Jaune holds up his cup towards Ruby.**

 **Ruby giggles at this, and they clink glasses together.**

' _This was quite the relief.'_ Ruby thinks. _'For a while I thought I'd just be standing around on my own for most of the dance, so it felt nice to have Jaune come talk to me. But then he decided to leave, though I'm starting to suspect he had a good reason for it.'_

" **Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss." Ruby says.**

" **Meh, it's fine." Jaune shrugs it off. "Neptune's pretty cool. I get why she went with him."**

"You seem to have recovered quite quickly." Sun says.

"A person can only take denial so far." Jaune shrugs. "There was no point dwelling on it."

' _I can't even imagine getting over it so quickly.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'If Jaune doesn't want to accept my feelings… I don't know what I'll do.'_ The idea terrifies her so much, all she can do is not consider the possibility.

" **What do you mean?" Ruby turns to properly face Jaune.**

" **Well, come on, not many people can pull off blue hair." Jaune replies, he then begins to drink his punch.**

"You're right." Sun says to Jaune. "I remember one person who tried imitating Neptune. He ended up looking like a bumbling idiot."

"Seriously?" Jaunes eyes widen. "Why would anyone do that?"

"He thought it would make him popular." Sun replies. "Ended up backfiring, big time."

" **No, I mean, Weiss came to the dance alone." Ruby informs him.**

 **Jaune chokes in surprise. Once he's recovered, he turns to Ruby. "Uh, what?!"**

' _This means we'll likely see Jaune talking with Neptune.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I've wondered what Jaune must have said, now I'll be able to see for myself.'_

" **Yeah, she said that she had too much to focus on to worry about boys." Ruby recounts.**

 **Weiss is shown trying desperately to coax life out of a wilting white rose. When she fails, she looks visibly upset.**

"Why didn't you tell us the truth?" Ruby asks her partner.

"It doesn't matter." Weiss replies. _'It's not as if I want to admit I was turned down.'_ Of course, a few people have already figured it out.

 **Laughter draws Weiss' attention to Sun, Blake, and Neptune as the latter entertains the others with some impressions and other silly faces. Jaune, shown to be observing as well, becomes visibly perturbed.**

' _In that moment, I thought Neptune was a jerk.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But it turns out he's just insecure and didn't understand how his priorities ended up hurting others.'_

" **Hold my punch." Jaune speaks in a low growl.**

 **Jaune hands Ruby his glass and no sooner than he vanishes from sight does she choose to drink from his cup.**

"Err…." Nora points at the screen. "That was Jaune's cup."

Ruby turns slightly red in embarrassment. "It was an accident! I wasn't paying attention!"

"Don't worry." Jaune waves is hands. "I hadn't even drunk from it." _'I think… possibly… maybe… I have no idea.'_

 **As Jaune makes his way across the room, shoving other students aside, he stops short and watches as Pyrrha passes by. He watches her walk glumly up the stairs and so he decides to change direction.**

' _So, we'll get to see that too.'_ Pyrrha thinks, her eyes wandering the room. _'It was supposed to be a private moment between us. But I guess I've already seen other peoples private moments, so I have no right to complain.'_

 **The scene shifts to Pyrrha on a balcony as Jaune approaches behind her.**

" **Hey, Pyrrha." Jaune makes his presence known.**

 **Pyrrha turns around to face him. "Hello, Jaune."**

' _I've been wanting to see this for a while now.'_ Yang thinks. _'Ever since the dance, Pyrrha and Jaune have been much closer. And now we get to see exactly how it happened.'_

" **You okay?" Jaune asks, as he approaches her. "I haven't seen you tonight."**

 **Pyrrha turns back to the balcony. "Arrived late, I'm afraid."**

" **Well, you look really nice." Jaune compliments.**

" **Thank you." Pyrrha replies.**

" **Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?" Jaune nervously tips back and forth on his toes.**

' _I still don't understand how Pyrrha didn't end up having anyone ask her.'_ Weiss thinks. _'She's far more renowned than me, so what reason would people have to not want to be her date. It's not as if there aren't any people who are interested in her.'_

" **I think you're safe for tonight." Pyrrha says.**

" **So, where is the guy?" Jaune rubs his hands together.**

' _Hopefully standing right next to her.'_ Sun thinks. _'Seriously, how can he be so dense. I don't know either of them that well, but it's still clear as daylight to me.'_

 **Pyrrha turns back toward Jaune. "There is no guy." Her head sinks in melancholy.**

 **Jaune chuffs nervously. "What?"**

" **Nobody asked me." Pyrrha shakes her head glumly.**

"Is that really true?" Weiss asks sceptically. "You didn't just reject them all then tell him a lie?"

"It's the truth." Pyrrha confirms. "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

"But how?" Weiss asks.

"You'll see." Pyrrha answers. "Jaune asks the same thing."

" **But that's..." Jaune gestures toward her. "You're Pyrrha Nikos!" He shrugs, dumbfounded. "H-How could nobody ask you?"**

' _I should have expected that?'_ Weiss thinks. _'It wouldn't make sense for him not to ask.'_

 **Pyrrha turns toward the balcony. "I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place."**

' _Wait. Was Pyrrha… lonely?'_ Ruby thinks. _'She's never given us any indication of that before. So why would she hide it from us?'_

' _I suppose this is one of the biggest differences between us.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I was born into my fame, she got hers due to hard effort. I hope some day people will see me more like that. As Weiss Schnee, rather than the current Schnee heiress.'_

 **Pyrrha turns back to Jaune. "Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me."**

"Wow." Nora expresses her amazement at what just happened. She then turns to Pyrrha. "Just so you know, I never saw you like that."

"Thank you." Pyrrha smiles back at her. "That means a lot to me."

' _Now I understand.'_ Weiss thinks. _'People target me because they know what they stand to gain. But for her it's different, she doesn't have a large fortune to inherit. They would also likely be threatened by how great her skills are. Some people find it harder to admit that they're weaker than their significant other.'_

' _I remember going through something similar in Signal.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I had friends there, but I always felt like I wasn't really part of the group. It's sometimes hard being a step ahead of people your own age, so I'm really glad I got into Beacon early. Especially since I got to go with Yang.'_

' _It'll work out.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Next break, I'll talk with Pyrrha. Then we can finally make things clear between us.'_ He smiles confidently. _'After everything I've seen today, I can't imagine it going badly.'_

 **Pyrrha looks at Jaune and then walks away while Jaune simply stares in astonishment.**

" **W-Wai…!" Jaune turns to stop Pyrrha as she leaves, but when he does so he sees an unexpected person join him on the balcony.**

"So now we see it." Weiss locks her eyes on the screen. "I've been waiting to see this."

"Don't get too excited." Sun comments. "You're likely to be disappointed by the answer." He already has an inkling as to the situation.

" **Hey, uh, Jaune, right?" Neptune points at him.**

 **Jaune gives an annoyed sigh. "Yeah."**

" **This party's pretty lame, huh? I mean, ballroom dancing. Pfft." Neptune keeps up his cool appearance.**

"What did he say!" Yang cracks her knuckles. "I really hope I didn't hear that correctly! Because if I did, things are not going to end well!"

"He didn't really mean it." Sun defends his teammate. "He was just trying to keep up appearances." _'As always.'_ "He actually told me how much he ended up enjoying it later."

"Oh…" Yang quickly calms down. "In that case I'm happy he had a good time."

" **Yeah." Jaune sarcastically, he then looks back out over the balcony.**

" **Cute girls, though, huh?" Neptune gestures back to the dance.**

"Yang… would you mind beating him up anyway?" Weiss snarls. "I am not happy with him acting like that."

"Sorry, you're on your own there." Yang replies.

"Also I must bring up again. He's just trying to act cool." Sun tells them.

 **Jaune growls as he turns back to Neptune. "Is that all you think about?"**

" **Huh?" Neptune responds in confusion.**

" **Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on?" Jaune asks in a serious tone. "How they feel about you?"**

"Says the person who ignored all of Weiss's rejections." Blake says.

"I'm sorry." Jaune admits his mistake. "I was projecting onto him slightly, but that doesn't change what I said. At least I only targeted one person, while Neptune was whimsically flirting with any girl in his line of sight."

" **Whoa!" Neptune throws his palms up. "Where's this coming from?"**

" **How could you just turn her down like that?" Jaune accuses, opening his arms wide.**

" **Wait, h-who?" Neptune asks, confused.**

" **Weiss!" Jaune says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.**

' _Here it is.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Why did he turn me down, but then approach me during the dance? It better not be about me, but if it is then that means I'll just have too keep on improving myself.'_

" **I, uh... it, uh... it just didn't work out, you know?" Neptune rubs the back of his head, trying to hide his nervousness.**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss demands an answer. "I asked him to go with me! So unless he had some personal commitment, I cannot accept such an excuse."

"Just wait for it." Jaune says. "It's honestly something that doesn't matter to anyone but him."

' _It appears the reason was exactly what I thought.'_ Sun reasons. _'But in that case, I'm impressed that he did decide to go with Weiss eventually.'_

" **What? You think that you're too cool, too many other options?" Jaune mocks, but then goes back to his accusations. "Weiss Schnee asked you to the dance. What in the world could possibly keep you from…"**

" **I can't dance!" Neptune interrupts in an almost pitiful voice, looking shamefully at the ground.**

"I knew it!" Sun shouts. "I knew that would be it! Man, I feel like I've just won an award."

"Wait…. What?" Weiss asks in confusion, trying to sort things out in her head. "That's… so stupid."

" **Beg your pardon?" Jaune responds calmly.**

" **I can't dance, man!" Neptune repeats, his voice strained.**

"It's weird to see him open up to someone like that." Sun points out. "He usually only does it for people in our team, and even then, it's very rare."

"So this is what he looks like when he removes his mask." Blake reasons. _'Just goes to show that everyone has an emotional side they would rather people not see.'_

"This is so dumb." Weiss mutters. _'This entire time I was worrying over something that ended up being incredibly stupid.'_

" **But... you're so cool!" Jaune gestures to Neptune.**

" **Thank you. I try really, really hard." You can hear the appreciation in Neptune's voice.**

"He's certainly not lying there." Sun says. "You would not believe the lengths he's gone to. Of course I can't tell you since he made me promise not to let anyone know how insecure he is. But I guess the truths out now either way."

" **You would rather break a girl's heart and go to a dance alone than just admit to everyone that you can't move in rhythm to music?" Jaune asks, thinking it's one of the most outrageous things imaginable.**

" **That about sums it up, yeah." Neptune admits, avoiding eye contact.**

"That's just pitiful." Weiss mumbles. _'If not for the fact he eventually got over it, I would probably break any connection I have to him.'_

" **Well, I certainly feel a lot better about myself." Jaune turnins back to the balcony.**

' _That moment where I realised I have more confidence than the coolest guy around.'_ Jaune recalls. _'In hindsight, it's quite uplifting.'_

 **Neptune raises his palms. "Please don't tell anybody. Look, if you want Weiss, she's all yours. I don't wanna get in your way."**

' _As if it were that simple.'_ Weiss thinks. _'After everything that happened before then, I doubt I would end up settling for Jaune. Now I know more about his better side, but it still could never work.'_

 **Jaune turns back towards Neptune and places his palms on the stone banister. "Do you like her?"**

' _Only now do I realise I turned down the chance to be with Weiss.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I just said what came naturally at that moment. I think that means I made the right choice.'_

" **Yeah, I mean I don't know her too well yet, but she seems pretty cool." Neptune answers.**

"Very cool." Yang agrees. "Extremely cool in fact. Ice cool."

"Be quiet." Weiss demands. _'I suppose at that moment we didn't know too much about each other. So it's natural for Neptune to be like that.'_

" **Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go." Jaune crosses his arms.**

Pyrrha smiles at this. _'He really did take my advice to heart. And at the time I said it, I thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.'_ She glances over at Jaune. _'But it ended up making him so much better now that he doesn't hide who he is.'_

 **Neptune raises his hand in protest. "Yeah, but then…"**

" **Hey! You don't have to look cool all the time." Jaune interrupts. "In all honesty, if you could be a little less cool, I'd really appreciate it."**

"You worried he would make you seem lame in comparison?" Sun asks.

"Well…" Jaune rubs the back of his head. "Yeah."

"I went through the same thing at one point." Sun says. "And trust me when I say, the entire notion will seem stupid later on."

Jaune nods his head. "I think I'm already at that point."

 **Neptune considers Jaune's advice for a moment, then replies. "Yeah, okay."**

" **Go talk to her." Jaune says. "I guarantee it'll make her night."**

' _And it did.'_ Weiss softens her gaze at the screen. _'I suppose I can give Neptune another chance, at the very least, he never meant to hurt my feelings.'_

" **Thanks. You're a really cool guy, Jaune." Neptune approaches Jaune, holding his fist out.**

" **Alright, don't lie to my face." Jaune closes the rest of the distance and they fist bump.**

"But you are cool." Nora says. "In that moment you were one of the coolest people I've ever seen."

"Yeah." Ruby agrees. _'He seemed like a hero from one of my comics, the way he dealt with that situation.'_

"Guys… seriously, stop teasing me." Jaune blushes.

' _But they're right.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I always knew there was something great about you. That it wasn't just your ignorance that drew me to you. And here I was proven right.'_

 **After Neptune walks away Jaune sighs. "All right, only one thing left to do."**

"Dress up as a girl and start dancing!" Nora says.

"Well… yeah." Jaune admits. "But that wasn't the point!"

"We know." Ruby says. "Though it was a bit of a shock at the time."

 **The scene shifts to show Yang leaning on a handrail and overlooking the festivities from a second tier as Ruby approaches and leans on the rail.**

" **You know? I think we really needed this." Yang says to her sister.**

' _I certainly did.'_ Blake mentally agrees.

 **Blake and Sun are slow dancing while Ren and Nora appear to be Waltzing. Penny is shown to be dancing alone, guarded by two Atlas Soldiers.**

"Now I understand why Penny had to have guards even during the dance." Yang says. "Given her circumstances, it's not surprising that they would want to keep such a close eye on her."

"Did you go greet her at the dance at all?" Sun asks Ruby.

"Unfortunately not." Ruby replies. "After what happened before, I thought it best not to get the attention of the Atlas soldiers." _'Though I really wish I had talked to her.'_

 **One of the Atlas Soldiers starts tapping his feet, but then stop when the other looks at him accusingly.**

"Ha!" Nora laughs at the guard. "Why weren't they allowed to take part in the dance anyway?"

"They are likely soldiers specifically chosen by Ironwood." Weiss explains. "It's not surprising they would be ordered not to focus on anything but their mission."

" **Yeah, and you did a great job planning it too!" Ruby responds to Yang.**

 **Yang reaches over to Ruby. "Aw, thanks!" she then crushing Ruby in a one-arm hug as she flails frantically. "It wasn't all me, though. Weiss did a lot too."**

"Thank you." Weiss nods in appreciation. "I put a lot of effort into it."

 **Ruby stops struggling and looks down at Weiss, only to see Neptune approaching her as he rubs his neck nervously. Weiss invites him to sit with her and as he takes a seat Weiss budges slightly nearer to him.**

"Never seen him let his guard down so publicly." Sun comments. He then turns to Jaune. "Your words must have really gotten through to him."

"It was nothing." Jaune replies. "They were Pyrrha's words anyway."

' _But you were the one who made him understand them.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

 **Yang chuffs. "Tomorrow it's back to work."**

" **Well. I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us." Ruby replies, but this is sudden interrupted by fits of laughter and giggles below. "Ex-cept for that."**

"I'm guessing no one here has experience dealing with crossdressers disrupting a party." Sun says.

"You would be surprised." Yang says. "The places I've been, stranger things have happened."

' _I'm guessing most of the time you were the cause though.'_ Blake thinks.

 **The camera pushes past some students to Pyrrha who turns around to see...**

" **Jaune?" Pyrrha looks in shock.**

' _It took me sometime to understand what was going on.'_ Pyrrha recalls.

 **Jaune is shown to now be wearing a white dress with a blue ribbon. "Eh, a promise is a promise."**

 **Pyrrha smiles at this... then giggles... then laughs aloud in clear amusement. "Jaune! You didn't have to!"**

' _This may have been the best day of my life._ ' Pyrrha recalls. _'I don't think I can recall a single time I've laughed so hard.'_

" **Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune extends his hand to Pyrrha. "Now do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do you wanna dance?" Upbeat music starts playing in the background.**

"It seems we'll be getting another song." Weiss says.

"But I don't remember having this song play at the dance at all." Yang chimes in. "In fact, I think it was a completely different one that played at that time."

"That's weird." Jaune says. "Did our host decide to change it for some reason?"

 **Pyrrha offers her own hand. "I would love to dance." Jaune then pulls her to him and sweeps her away. "Oh!"**

" **Ren. This... is... happening!" Nora flails excitedly from the side-lines.**

' _Oh god…'_ Nora blushes slightly, without anyone noticing. _'It doesn't sound like it's that song though.'_

" **Wait, what is happening?" Ren asks, confused.**

 **Nora grabs Ren and drags him out onto the dance floor with Pyrrha and Jaune.**

" ** _Baby, it's time to make up your mind"_ Team JNPR dances together in perfect synchronisation.**

"Okay… I think I prefer this song." Yang declares.

"It does seem to fit better with what we're seeing." Blake agrees.

" ** _I think that tonight is when our stars align"_ Cheers can be heard from the audience, who watch the scene play out in amazement.**

"How did you dance in such good synchronisation?" Sun asks.

"I have no idea." Jaune admits. "It all just came naturally."

' _This is perfect.'_ Pyrrha watches the screen, doing what she can to hide the tears forming in her eyes. _'This perfectly displays the joy I was feeling in the moment. I wonder if we'll be able to take a copy back with us.'_

" ** _Honey, it's time to leave the doubt behind"_ The camera focuses on Jaune and Pyrrha dancing together. "I had no idea you were a dancer." The latter says.**

" ** _Take my hand 'cause you and I are gonna shine"_ Jaune replies. "Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." He dips Pyrrha and then spins her away.**

"Seven!" Ruby yells. "I can barely imagine having to deal with two! How did you survive!?"

"Hey!" Yang bops Ruby on the head.

Jaune and Pyrrha ignore this however, both their minds focused on a single thought. _'Is this… a love song.'_

 **Neptune and Weiss are shown to be watching the dancers. "So, what made you change your mind?" Weiss asks.**

" **Huh?" Neptune responds.**

" **You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me?" Weiss elaborates.**

' _So that was his excuse.'_ Jaune realises. _'I suppose it's not as bad as I thought it'd be.'_

" **You're looking at him." Neptune nods towards Jaune. "You got some good friends looking out for ya." Weiss smiles at this.**

' _I guess that means he technically didn't lie to me.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **The screen switches to an overhead wide shot of the dance floor. Jaune and Pyrrha continue to dance together while Ren and Nora do a kind of disco dance, Sun and Blake join the mix and if you look closely you can even see Penny doing the robot.**

"Look at that!" Nora points to the screen. "Penny's doing the robot!" She squeals excitedly.

"Really?" Ruby looks careful at the screen. "Wow, you're right. That's amazing! I wonder if she was doing it on purpose."

 **As the screen zooms out, it eventually reveals Mercury and Emerald observing the students from the upper tier.**

' _And now we get to the important part.'_ Ren thinks. _'What were they planning?'_

" **It appears all the dancers have partners." Emerald seems to be talking to Mercury.**

" **How long do I have?" Cinder asks from a hidden ear-bud.**

"So that's why they were there." Weiss says with confidence. "They were in charge of checking that the people capable of stopping her stayed in one place."

"Wait." Yang says. "Doesn't that mean…"

"They were using the dance as a distraction." Blake finishes her sentence. "A time where the only people guarding the tower are too weak be of any threat to her."

' _Those bastards!'_ Yang thinks. _'I spent hours working on that dance, only for them to use it for their evil purposes.'_

" **We should probably be home by midnight, to be safe." Mercury replies to Cinder, but from an outside perspective it would seem like a casual conversation between him and Emerald.**

 **Cinder is shown to be somewhere outside, wearing a mask over her face and holding her fingers to her ear. "I'll keep my eye on the clock."**

"What time would that have been?" Pyrrha asks.

"I'm not sure." Weiss gives a thoughtful look. "I think you and Jaune started dancing sometime around eleven."

 **Ruby is now seen shuffling her way to the exit. She walks out of the dance and into the night air, upon doing so she slouches in relief. As She looks around outside she notices a figure running along the rooftops and then moves to pursue.**

"Why were you leaving the party sis?" Yang asks. "It was just starting to get good."

"I just wanted… some fresh air." Ruby lies unconvincingly. "And then I saw Cinder, so I had to check what was going on."

Yang narrows her eyes. "Sure…"

 **Outside the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower, Cinder (dressed as a cat burglar), stealthily approaches an armed guard. She knife-hands the back of his head, rendering him unconscious with a stunned grin on his face. She drags him behind some bushes.**

"Wow she's fast." Jaune exclaims. "And I'm guessing very strong if she's able knock someone out like that."

"It's not too hard if someone's not expecting it." Pyrrha says. "But she is still very skilled. She must be in order for Mercury to follow her."

"I'm guessing that means we shouldn't just take her on ourselves once we get out." Ruby grumbles.

"Correct." Weiss confirms. "We would be best of letting a professional hunter we can trust deal with them. Though we may be able to help out."

"Can we get Qrow." Ruby's eyes light up. "I've always wanted to see him go all out."

"That may not be a bad idea." Blake agrees. "We already know how he considers them enemies.

"But do you know where he is, or how to contact him?" Weiss asks.

"Not really." Yang says. "We have his Scroll number, but he usually doesn't pick up during a mission."

' _But he likely will if we go through Ozpin.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Yet another reason we need to be sure we can trust him.'_

 **Inside the building, Cinder approaches more guards.**

" **Excuse me, no one's allowed in this area." On soldier says. But Cinder continues to approach. "Stop!" He demands.**

' _This will be useful.'_ Ren thinks. _'Getting to see her fighting style first hand. Though it would be better if it were against fewer, more skilled people.'_

 **Cinder rushes towards the guard, who opens fire upon seeing this. Unfortunately Cinder is able to evade his attacks and punches him in the face. Another guard runs in to fight melee, but Cinder kicks him in the stomach, and as the first soldier aims his gun at her she tilts his arm so he accidently shots his ally.**

' _That happened in only a moment.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'This person is very well trained, but where did she learn from?'_

 **Cinder then throws a soldier into a handrail. Two more soldiers rush her wielding batons but Cinder flash-forges a pair of black blades and trounces them both.**

' _Can form blades out of thin air.'_ Ren notes this down. _'But is she using Dust? It's hard to tell.'_

 **Two guards are shown to be inside an elevator. One of them asks: "Hey, man, do you know the Wi-Fi password?"**

" **It's Beacon, but replace the E with a 3 and add a pound symbol to the end." The other soldier replies.**

"Is that public knowledge?" Jaune asks.

"Probably." Ren answers. "It is the transmit tower after all, a place for free transmission of information."

 **The elevator door opens to show Cinder waiting. The guards notice the fallen men outside and so both grow apprehensive as Cinder casually walks onto the elevator, the doors closing as she turns around. Thrashing sounds can be heard from outside the elevator.**

"Well they don't stand a chance." Nora says.

"This entire thing was to be expected." Weiss says. "While soldiers are much easier to train, and therefore have higher numbers, you can usually count on hunter level combatants to win. Unless they fight a battle of attrition or they're on a flat landscape, then they'll eventually win."

"This was your fact of the day. By Weiss Schnee." Nora jokes. "Tune in next time for a full history of everything ever."

 **Outside the building, Ruby approaches and sees the unconscious guard. She gasps and pulls out her Scroll, dialling for her weapon locker which crashes into the courtyard and opens to reveal Crescent Rose.**

"That was the right choice." Pyrrha nods. "Though you could have contacted one of us for backup."

"I wasn't sure if there was time." Ruby explains. "I was barely able to catch her trail after this, so calling someone would take too long and too much of my attention."

' _And I'm guessing you wanted to be a hero in that moment.'_ Yang thinks. _'Not that you'd take any real risks to fulfil that fantasy.'_

 **Inside the building, the elevator doors open to show Cinder examining a Scroll. The two guards are knocked out. "Oh! That's handy." She says, as she closes her scroll.**

' _I guess even villains can get uncomfortable if they don't have constant internet connection.'_ Jaune thinks.

 **Cinder walks out of the elevator and toward the control consoles nearby. She then types something into the console, but the screen is never shown.**

"So she was doing something with the console." Weiss deduces. "But why couldn't she do it some other time?"

"The main console is always being watched during daylight hours." Ren explains. "And during most nights it would be too hard to ensure there wasn't somebody nearby capable of interrupting her while calling for backup."

"I suppose that makes sense." Weiss agrees. "Now we just need to know what she was attempting."

" **A party guest is leaving." Emerald warns Cinder from her earpiece.**

' _A bit late or them to notice Ruby, isn't it?'_ Blake thinks.

 **Cinder sighs. "Which one?"**

 **Emerald is shown to be dancing with Mercury. "Ironwood." She whispers.**

' _Oh…'_ Blake realises her mistake. _'I forgot about that.'_

 **Ironwood is shown to be walking out the door as Ozpin gives his send-off.**

"I guess they really did think this through." Sun says. "It must have been very important if they went to so much trouble."

"But they didn't notice Ruby leaving." Jaune points out. "That's one mistake they made."

"I was careful to make sure no one noticed." Ruby says. "I think I even noticed Emerald looking over all the guests, so I chose the one time she wasn't looking."

"So you were trying to leave the party!" Yang accuses. "And after all the effort me and Weiss put into it."

"Yang, please. There are more important things right now." Ruby begs.

" **I guess the general's had enough fun for one night." Mercury comments. "Should we intervene?"**

 **Random code appearing on Cinders computer screen, but then changes into the silhouette of a Queen chess piece.**

"Wait… what?" Ruby says in bewilderment.

 **The other monitors in the room light up with the same Queen silhouette. "No... we're done here." Cinder declares.**

"WHAT!" Weiss yells. "They succeeded!"

"What does that mean?" Nora asks in a worried voice.

"It means they did something to Beacon Tower." Ren says. "They probably uploaded a virus of some kind. Worst case scenario, they have total control of all information coming in and out of Vale."

"But surely they fixed that… right?" Yang asks. "Someone must have noticed something."

"Then why did they go to so much effort." Blake says. "They wouldn't have gone so far if they knew it would be discovered so easily. So it's likely still in place."

"What could they do with it?" Ruby asks. _'How much damage could they cause if we don't stop them.'_

"It's hard to be sure." Ren answers. "The CCT is connected to so much, they likely have control over many small things. For example: traffic lights. But they would also be able to access all of your Scrolls information if it's ever connected directly to the tower."

"Does that mean they would be able to prevent us from calling our lockers?" Pyrrha asks.

"Doubtfully." Ren answers. "Unless they download it to the Scroll itself, and the memory that would take up would be far too obvious."

 **As Cinder starts to walk away, she notices the elevator doors opening, so she hides behind the counter.**

 **Ruby steps out of the elevator slowly, brandishing her weapon. "Hello?"**

"You just decided to greet them?" Sun says. "That's not the smartest move."

"Why not?" Ruby asks. "It's not like she wouldn't have noticed me going through the elevator."

"I guess." Sun replies.

 **Ruby walks forward, but then stumbles due to her high-heeled shoes. "Is anyone there? Hello?"**

"I definitely wouldn't have stood a chance against her if she want all out." Ruby admits. "With those heels it'd be impossible for me to pull of most of the stunts I usually do."

"I could always help you learn how to fight in them." Weiss offers.

"No thank you." Ruby declines. _'I'd prefer never wearing heels ever again.'_

 **Realising it's just one enemy she can win against, Cinder rises from her hiding place and steps out toward Ruby.**

 **Ruby looks at the masked figure. "Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that…!"**

 **Cinder suddenly produces a container of ice Dust and sends shards of ice flying at Ruby.**

"She seems to be experienced in using Dust." Blake points out. "We should take that into account for the future."

"I agree. But we can't rely on that." Pyrrha says. "It's very likely that she uses Dust to cover up her personal abilities."

Ren notes all this down.

 **Ruby deflects the attack by spinning her scythe in front of her. she then opens fire at the masked woman, who blocks the projectiles with her hand, markings on her arms and legs lighting up as she does so.**

' _How does she do that?'_ Ren wonders. _'I've never even heard of someone blocking bullets with their hands so casually.'_

 **The masked woman spins around, creating a pair of swords. But Ruby quickly reacts to this by charging in with a heavy blow from her scythe. The woman jumps out of the way at the last moment, forming a bow with three arrows while in mid-air.**

"How does she do that so quickly?" Yang says. "I didn't even notice her forming a new weapon."

"She must have spent many years perfecting her fighting style." Pyrrha replies. "In fact, I believe it's likely she's older than she claims. By how much though, it's hard to tell."

 **The arrows fire at Ruby, who backs away to stay out of the blast radius. They then glare at each other, but this is interrupted by the appearance of Ironwood on the nearby elevator.**

"Yeah!" Nora yells. "Go Ironwood!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble but…" Ruby points to the screen.

 **Ruby is visibly glad to see the general until she turns back to see that the woman has disappeared.**

"How'd she do that?" Weiss asks. "You barely turned away from her for a second."

"I don't know." Ruby answers. "Ironwood said he didn't even catch a glance of her. So for some time he investigated me on suspicion of being the culprit."

"It's not that outrageous to be able to disappear like that." Ren says. "I could likely do the same thing."

"Does that mean Cinder's a ninja!?" Nora yells.

"No." Ren replies bluntly.

 **In a hallway, Cinder discards two bracelets and her mask, with symbols surrounding her to change from her stealth suit into a black dress. She then enters through some doors, before two guards following her crush the bracelets underfoot and enter the doors.**

"So that's why she was sowing Dust." Weiss reasons.

"Care to elaborate." Jaune requests.

"Dust clothing can, among other things, be used to transform the appearance of the fabric itself." Weiss explains. "It makes sense that she would want to be able to quickly change her appearance at a moment's notice."

 **The guards are visibly confused as they see the dance hall, without a trace of their target in sight.**

' _Again!'_ Yang growls. _'She used the dance for her plans again! This is not something that can be easily forgiven.'_

 **As the guards leave, realising their search would be in vain, the camera shows Emerald and Mercury dancing together. This is interrupted when Cinder taps Emerald's shoulder.**

" **Oh, may I cut in?" Cinder asks, now revealed to be wearing a formal black evening gown.**

"What is that tattoo on her back?" Ruby wonders. "It's hard to imagine it's just for show."

"Right now there's no point guessing." Blake says. "If it ends up being important, we'll know about it eventually."

 **Emerald steps aside. "Of course."**

 **Emerald leaves as Cinder begins to dance with Mercury.**

" **And how's your night been?" Mercury asks.**

" **Mmm... a little more exciting than expected." Cinder replies cryptically for anyone listening in.**

' _Does that mean I was able to at least do something?'_ Ruby hopes.

" **Should we be worried?" Mercury asks.**

" **Hardly." Cinder almost laughs at the idea. "They'll be scratching their heads long after we finished what we came here for."**

Ruby suddenly turns downcast. _'And here I was thinking I'd done something good.'_ She then looks at the screen confidently. _'That just means I'll have to try harder next time, and train so that I'll never fail again.'_

"This means we can be fairly certain that the virus is still there." Weiss says. "We'll have to do something about that before we begin our plans."

"And how will we do that?" Jaune asks. "I doubt anyone here knows how to fix it."

"I'll have to get in contact with general Ironwood." Weiss replies. "That should be the best way of dealing with it." _'Though we'll have to explain everything to him and Ozpin before that.'_

 **Mercury smiles. "So then what now?"**

" **Enjoy the rest of the night." Cinder replies. "After all, it is a party."**

' _They don't deserve to enjoy the dance!'_ Yang mentally yells. _'After all the effort I put into it, how dare they take advantage of it.'_

" **Ding"A bell chimes in the background as the perspective zooms out. "Ding"**

 _'Things are getting worse and worse.'_ Weiss thinks. _'And these are things that have already happened. Who knows what they could do in the future.'_

" **Ding" Pyrrha and Jaune are sitting together.**

' _What should I have done.'_ Jaune wonders. _'I don't regret spending the dance with Pyrrha. But if we'd gone with Ruby, we might have been able to prevent this whole mess.'_

" **Ding" Blake and Sun dance alongside each other.**

' _The one time I let my guard down, and it happens to be the very night our enemies pull of their biggest move.'_ Blake thinks. _'I should have rested sooner. It was foolish to believe they wouldn't have something planned.'_

" **Ding" Guards outside look around helplessly. "Ding"**

' _They're not going to find anything._ ' Ren thinks. _'Cinder would have covered her tracts too well. Not to mention the fact we already know their efforts were fruitless.'_

" **Ding" Ruby sits in the tower, with Ironwood watching over her.**

' _I failed.'_ Ruby reflects. _'I was the only one who could do something, and I failed.'_ She then hardens herself. _'But now we have a better understanding of what we're dealing with, and there's still more to learn. By the time we get out of here, we should be prepared for anything.'_

" **Ding" A screen is shown somewhere in the tower. "Ding… Ding"**

" **Ding" The symbol of a black queen appears on the screen.**

' _Queen has Pawns.'_ Yang remembers. _'We must figure some of this out in the future. That would explain why Ruby sent a letter rather that contacting through the CCT. But that also means there was some information that needed hiding.'_

" **Ding" The black queen disappears, and the screen turns to black.**

"Midnight." Ren says. "They did everything within the span of a single hour."

"But we can still win!" Ruby declares enthusiastically. "Now we know what they did, and we've still got more to learn. So we can still stop them!"

Ruby's words dispel the bleak atmosphere, reminding everyone of why they're here.

"You're right." Weiss agrees. "It's not over yet."

 **Congratulations on reaching this point**

 **Another bonus video has been added to 'World of Remnant'**

"This one better be useful." Weiss grumbles, remembering the disappointment that was the previous one.

"We should take a break after watching that." Jaune states. "I think we all need one."

' _That's perfect.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I can talk to him about it, using the excuse of training to draw get him alone.'_

Everyone agrees to Jaunes request, so they start the new bonus video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Miscellaneous dance events (unlikely to be of importance)

Emerald and Mercury stay at dance, connected to Cinder through earpiece, in charge of checking that everyone stays at dance

Cinder used dance as distraction to keep all strong opponents away

Infiltration starts around 11

Ruby leaves party, coincidently sees Cinder

We need a proper hunter to fight Cinder (Must be trustworthy, Qrow?)

Cinder defeats guards of the Tower

Can form blades out of thin air (uncertain if Dust)

Ruby notices unconscious guards, calls weapon

Cinder enters communications room, uses main console

Emerald warns Cinder of Ironwood leaving

Queen chess piece appears on screen, virus uploaded?

Entire Vale CCT may be compromised

Must fix before massive damage is done

Ruby enters communications room

Cinder uses Dust to cover up personal abilities?

Cinder can block bullets with bare hand very easily

Ruby and Cinder fight, Cinder can create weapons very quickly

Ironwood enters room, Cinder disappears

Cinder's clothes change to dress, uses as a disguise in the dance

What is Cinder's tattoo? Currently not enough info

Must contact Ironwood to get CCT fixed

Infiltration finished before midnight

New bonus video available

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I apologise for not writing about Neptunes terrible dancing. I couldn't find a way to have it fit within my plans.**

 **I decided that when Ruby sees Cinder in the show should be described without mentioning Cinder by name. What are your thoughts?**

 **If you have any criticisms of my writing style then please tell me. As long as you explain your reasoning, everything is constructive.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	25. V2: WoR2: Kingdoms

**A/N**

 **Welcome back to RWBY and JNPR watch the show, the 19th most reviewed RWBY fanfic on this site to not have a cover image (Someone's working to fix that, but don't expect it any time soon).**

 **For those disappointed that Weiss is still giving Neptune a chance: I know, I feel the same way. But I need to do this so that in case they do end up together in the end (I find this very unlikely) I can write in such a way that follows this properly.**

 **Jaune did say _hold my punch_ not _hold my drink_. Trust me, I've seen the scene a dozen times at this point (not an exaggeration).**

 **Sorry I won't be writing so fast nowadays, you can probably expect this to get updated at a slower rate from now on (I will do what I can to prevent this).**

 **I know everyone is looking forward to V3C12, but is there anything before that, that you're really looking forward to.**

 **Weiss does need to apologise to Pyrrha for the way she treated her in beginning, that will likely happen next break.**

 **There has been some push back on my idea of eventually introducing Oscar. Know that this is not something I am willing to give up on as I feel he will give a new and important perspective. I will however be starting a poll on whether people think it's a good idea.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: World of Remnant 2: Kingdoms**

' _I can already tell this is going to be useless.'_ Weiss thinks. _'What is there to know that we don't already.'_

" **The world of Remnant is a dangerous place, particularly for man." The screen fades in to a view of the entire planet, with the broken moon orbiting nearby.**

"That voice again." Yang says in an irritated tone. She turns to Ren. "What do we know about her so far?"

Ren turns over his notes. "She's possibly a historical figure, she's very knowledgeable about many things, and she knows Ozpin. Though there is at least some level of conflict between them."

"Then she can't he a historical figure." Jaune points out. "Otherwise how would she know Ozpin?"

' _That does seem strange.'_ Ren thinks. _'But then why did she refer to herself as a legend?'_

" **In the countless years that humanity has roamed the planet, civilizations have grown and fallen." The classic map of Remnant now appears, as a sea of white with brown landmasses.**

"More have grown than have fallen." Nora declares.

"It would be quite worrying if the opposite were true." Pyrrha says.

' _These bonus videos seem to be implying something.'_ Blake thinks. _'If this knowledge is necessary for the viewing, then that would mean things escalate to a much larger scale than any of us have anticipated.'_

" **But four have withstood the test of time: Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, Vale." Shining lights appear on all the relevant locations as they are listed out.**

"Of course it would end up being something so obvious." Weiss says. "Why bother having the bonus videos if there's nothing new to learn?"

"It could just be a refresher." Ruby answers. "Though in this case I'm seriously worried for anyone who need reminding of what the kingdoms are called."

" **These four kingdoms, with the help of natural barriers and human tenacity, have proven that they have the will to survive." The map is replaced by a set of buildings, built with a mountain to its side to protect from attacks. More buildings arise, showing the development of the kingdoms with time.**

' _Even I know that.'_ Jaune thinks. _'This is basic knowledge.'_

" **Each kingdom has a governing council to represent the people and their needs." The silhouettes of people appear above a podium.**

' _More like they represent their own needs, but rely on public image to stay in power._ ' Blake thinks. _'Though they still very much care about national security, since that benefits everyone.'_

" **Next, comes the military. While most kingdoms only call on its citizens to serve when needed, others find it important to be... prepared." Aircrafts fly across the screen, followed by endless rows of soldiers.**

"Not hard to guess which two kingdoms it's thinking of in particular." Sun comments.

Ruby raises her hand nervously. "I get that the second one is Atlas, but what's the first?"

"Vacuo." Sun replies bluntly. "It's almost comical how quickly everyone bands together when a crisis occurs. Especially when you consider how they would be acting before then."

" **There are still those who choose to venture outside the walls of the kingdoms." Shaded versions of travellers wander across the plains.**

"It's not always a matter of choice." Pyrrha sighs. "There isn't enough safe farmland to support the current population. So, a long time ago the Mistral elites decided to take… forceful measures to ensure there are enough farms. And so the entire culture just seemed to stick."

" **Roaming nomads and small villages are not uncommon." Small buildings arise alongside the travellers. "Yet neither is their tendency to... disappear, overnight." The travellers and buildings disappear as ominous sounds play in the background.**

Ren frowns at this. _'Disappear isn't the right word. It makes light of what people have to go through when…'_

Nora budges her arm into Ren, who looks at her in surprise. No words are shared though, instead Nora simply nods her head towards the screen.

' _Thank you, Nora.'_ Ren silently tells her, then turns his attention back to the video.

" **Lastly, the Huntsmen academies. These institutions' sole purpose is to train the next generation of Huntsmen." Hunters in training appear, sparring against each other in a friendly and mutually beneficial manner.**

' _And here I was thinking the Dust video was worthless.'_ Weiss thinks. _'At least that one explained the different ways of using Dust.'_

" **The next generation of defenders that will live and die to protect the lifestyle that they've become so accustomed to." Grimm appear, so the Hunters turn their weapons against them in a group effort.**

"Not all hunters die!" Ruby protests. "There are plenty that manage to live until retirement!"

' _Not as many as you think.'_ Yang lowers her gaze. _'There's no denying that it has one of, if not the highest death rates out of any profession. Only comparable to that of military soldiers.'_

" **Yes, the world of Remnant is indeed a dangerous place. But the four kingdoms stand as beacons of hope." The map appears again, but this time with a sea of back, and all the landmass's only visible due to the light shining from the four kingdoms.**

"There's been some arguments that Kuo Kuana should be considered a kingdom." Blake points out. _'But there are plenty of people who will use any excuse to prevent that.'_

"Erm…" Sun raises his hand slowly. "I don't want to sound stupid, but where is that?"

Blake sighs at this. "It's the largest settlement on Menagerie."

"Right!" Sun shouts enthusiastically. "Just wanted to make sure everyone else knew."

" **As safe havens from the darkness that surrounds them. They are the key to mankind's survival, as long as they stand united..." The lights are extinguished, so the map slowly fades to darkness. Scorch marked remains can be seen in the locations the light used to be, just before the darkness entirely consumes the world.**

"Wha…" Nora looks at the screen with her mouth agape. "What does that mean." A cold shiver runs down the spine of everyone present.

"It could mean that Cinder's group wants to divide the kingdoms." Weiss proposes. "Perhaps their motives are something along the lines of extreme nationalism."

"But then… why?" Ruby asks.

"It's just a random thought." Weiss stresses. "But perhaps they believe that the kingdoms are better off working separately." _'The more I say it, the less likely it sounds.'_

Most of the group seem sceptical of this explanation, but none give any form of protest.

"Well then." Jaune speaks up. "I'd say it's time for another break." He turns to Pyrrha. "You up for some more training?"

"Yes!" Pyrrha nods eagerly, and so they leave the room together.

Everyone looks at the now closed door in awe. "Did that just happen?" Blake asks.

"I think it did." Ruby nods her head slowly. "What do you think they're gonna to do?"

"Something I've been waiting for, for a long time." Nora declares confidently. The others then look at her with questioning faces. "Me and Pyrrha had a talk during the last break." She explains.

' _And I'm guessing it wasn't just about her.'_ Yang thinks, noticing Nora shy away slightly.

* * *

Training grounds

Once Jaune and Pyrrha have both entered the room they just stop there for a moment.

' _What am I supposed to say.'_ Pyrrha worries. _'I can't just say I like him, can I? I need to lead up to that somehow.'_

"So… Pyrrha." Jaune speaks up. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Y-yes." Pyrrha responds nervously.

"Are we… Y'know." Jaune glances around the room, avoiding eye contact. "What's going on between us."

"You mean are we…" Pyrrha trails off.

"Together-together." Jaune nods at her. "Since the dance, we've both been uncomfortable talking about this, but I think it's about time we made it clear."

"I…" Pyrrha rubs her arms. "I don't know." _'What am I saying! This is my chance!'_

"Okay then." Jaune now looks at her directly, not letting his eyes wander for a moment. "In that case, will you be my girlfriend."

Pyrrha takes a sharp breath. _'What did he say? Did I hear him right? Is this actually happening.'_ She just stands there with a shocked look on her face, body completely frozen in place.

Jaune continues. "I mean… I like you, and I was hoping you felt the same way. But if you don't then that's fine." Jaunes face dips. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this, how about we just get back to training." He turns away to grab his sword. _'And here I was, so confident it would work out. I thought it would be different than with Weiss. But once again it was just me misunderstanding someone's words.'_ His eyes start to water as he walks away, but he doesn't falter, not wanting to show that side of himself to Pyrrha.

' _I need to say something!'_ Pyrrha realises, but her mouth just won't work. _'Why now. Why is this happening now!'_ Knowing that she can't break her shock with words, she decides to take drastic measures.

As Jaune's about to reach for his sword, he feels a sudden force on his back. Thanks to all his training though, he's able to quickly regain his balance, as two arms quickly wrap themselves around him.

"Yes! Yes I will!" Pyrrha cries, her shock induced muteness having finally been cured. "I'll be with you! Thank you so much!" She tightens her grip, wanting to never have to let go.

Jaune just stares off into space at this revelation, this sudden change in his life. His body remains entirely still, as if the slightest movement will shatter the dream and send him back to before. The only change in his body being the trails of tears running down his face.

* * *

Later, in the viewing room

The others are talking and even arguing among themselves, at first about the CCT having been hacked, but it quickly devolves into a talk about Jaune and Pyrrha, and what they could be doing right now.

Suddenly the door opens, with the two in question walking in, both with bright smiles on their faces. They both take their seats without hesitation.

"So, if everyone's ready, how about we start the next video?" Jaune says, ignoring the shocked looks everyone else has on them.

"Sure." Yang replies slowly, picking up the remote and starting the next video.

' _Are none of us going to talk about it?'_ Ruby thinks, looking around the room. _'I guess not.'_

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

About kingdoms

Theory: Cinder wants to divide the kingdoms. (nationalism?)

No other useful info

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I may have paraphrased the details of what is seen on the screen. But that's only because it's incredibly difficult to summarise the pictures in few enough words for it not to drag on.**

 **One question I really need answering for the future is what should the reaction to _Sacrifice_ be? This is very important because by the time I decided to actually think about the song, I had already seen Volume 5, and therefore had a good idea to what it really means. My question is what was your reaction as it aired, and what conclusions would they be capable of coming to?**

 **I have an announcement to make. Once I get to the relevant part of V3 I will be creating a bonus chapter describing the fight of Pyrrha and Nora vs Sun and Neptune that was originally planned. This chapter will not be cannon to my story however I think it will be a good opportunity for me to test my abilities at writing a unique fight scene where I don't have any source material to describe. What are everyone's thoughts?**

 **For people who only read the bottom authors notes, there is now a poll about Oscar.**


	26. V2: C8: Field Trip

**A/N**

 **I have now seen some of the songs explained videos by EruptionFang. These have helped me get a better idea of some of the characters, particularly Weiss. I don't agree with some of his opinions though (seems too pessimistic).**

 **The poll about Oscar is finished and the results are:**

 **Like: 22 (+1 from review)**

 **Dislike: 20 (+1 from review)**

 **I mentioned before how the results wouldn't change the outcome anyway, but I would like to give my reasons for wanting to bring him into the story (and address the complaints). One reason is because he is an important character in the future, so I think it will be appropriate. I also think that it will be good to get the perspective of someone who is not trained to fight most of their life. I want to have him go through a sorta arc where he becomes more invested in the conflict, and wants to help change it for the better.**

 **I don't consider Oscars inclusion a spoiler in any way. The amount of information that can be gleamed from him joining is very little. For those of you who don't like Oscar as a character, I disagree, I think he is a good addition to the show. Oscars inclusion wont be about making a difference so much, but more about getting a perspective.**

 **Thanks for all the feedback on Sacrifice. It should be much easier to write that part now. If you have any interpretations of other songs you would like to voice, don't hesitate to tell me them.**

 **I will not be giving a specific update schedule. I like to get feedback as soon as possible, in case it will impact the next chapter in any way.**

 **For those of you who don't like Arkos, you don't have to worry too much since it shouldn't appear in any of the main chapters that don't relate to the two of them in some way. (This is not a romance fic, it just has some romance on the side)**

 **I have been told about the 0 for 3 or 0 for 4 problem, don't worry, I address it in the chapter.**

 **I keep the visuals in the WoR because I feel the chapter needs more substance. I also think it gives some important symbolism.**

 **I want to have them all do more training in the special rooms, but I can't think of a good way to justify them doing so instead of watching another video.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 8: Field Trip**

"Does that mean we'll be seeing the Mountain Glenn mission already?" Ruby wonders. "Seems a bit early for that."

"What are you talking about." Weiss responds. "It was the very next day."

"I guess." Ruby mumbles. _'It just feels like so much else happened in-between.'_

 **The opening cuts to a shot of Beacon Academy the next day following the Beacon Dance, then cuts to inside Ozpin's office, with Ironwood and Goodwitch keeping the headmaster company.**

" **They were here..." Ironwood raises his voice. "Ozpin, they were here!" He angrily slams his fist against Ozpin's desk.**

"They." Blake repeats the word. "It seems like they think it's some kind of large organisation that Cinder's a part of."

"That could be true." Pyrrha agrees. "We don't know how many other people there are working for Cinder, And I highly doubt any of the ones we know are responsible for making the Virus."

"Noted." Ren scribbles this down. "Though we still need to know how big this organisation is, and more importantly, what they want."

" **We're very much aware of that!" Goodwitch responds snarkly. "Thank you, James."**

" **Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!" Ironwood points to the ground angrily.**

"What does Ironwood hope to do?" Yang wonders. "Without a proper lead they would just be causing an unnecessary commotion."

"And that would just mean he would have to spend more resources on border control." Weiss says.

 **An alert sound plays, signifying that someone has arrived on the elevator.**

" **Come in." Ozpin stands to greet the new person.**

 **Ruby steps out and into the room. "Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." She pauses before quickly explaining herself. "It wasn't me."**

"Really?" Yang asks smugly. "Are you sure that's true."

"I didn't!" Ruby complains. "Some guy just did it to mess with me."

"And what did he look like?" Blake asks.

"Well… erm… he, err." Ruby stammers nervously. "…he had shoes, and err…"

' _We'll that clears it up.'_ Yang thinks. _'Did she really think she could hide it from us?'_

" **Thank you for coming, Ruby. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asks.**

" **Okay, I guess." Ruby replies. "I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't 0-for-3."**

"Wait a second." Sun starts counting on his fingers. "Wouldn't it actually be 0-for-4?"

"What do you mean?" Jaune asks.

"I mean there was Torchwick with the Dust, Torchwick at the docks, Torchwick with the Paladin, and now Cinder with the tower."

"I knew that." Ruby says. "But they didn't know about the Paladin, so I thought it best to not tell them about that."

"I don't even want to know how much trouble you would be in if they knew about that." Nora says.

"Yeah… sure." Yang says. _'I'm pretty sure Ozpin already knows.'_

 **Everyone stares silently at Ruby.**

" **Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it." Ruby says in a hushed tone, rubbing the back of her head.**

' _I was just trying to break the tension.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I should have known better that to attempt that with Goodwitch and Ironwood.'_

" **Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntress is all about." Ironwood puts his hand on Ruby's shoulder, comfortingly. "You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could."**

" **Thank you, sir." Ruby replies gratefully.**

"He's right you know." Weiss says. "I wasn't certain of it before, but after seeing the events, I can say you made the right decisions."

"I still could have done better." Ruby grumbles. "If I had just left those evil shoes in the elevator, I might have been able to beat Cinder."

"I doubt it." Pyrrha speaks up, and all heads turn to her. "No offense Ruby, but with how strong Mercury is, I find it hard to believe you would be able to beat his boss."

"Well that's uplifting." Yang comments sarcastically.

" **Now, the general here has already informed of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add." Ozpin speaks up.**

" **Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Goodwitch asks.**

"Why didn't you notice that she had Cinder's hairstyle?" Blake asks. "She didn't even change it during the infiltration."

"It's not that easy!" Ruby complains. "It's hard to recall what someone looks like at a time like that, and I've barely even seen Cinder. She doesn't seem to be out and about very often."

" **I... I don't know." Ruby replies uncomfortably. "She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her Semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked."**

"I was wondering about that." Jaune says. "Why does her clothes light up? It doesn't seem very useful."

"It's an aspect of Dust clothing." Weiss explains. "While it is possible to make it in such a way that it doesn't glow, doing so will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the abilities it gives. You might as well be wearing normal clothing."

"Okay, thanks." Jaune says.

" **Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby." Goodwitch recalls.**

" **Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone." Ironwood declares.**

"At least they confirmed it was a girl." Nora comments. "That reduces the possible suspects by half."

"Still not very useful." Sun says. "Also, I'm impressed Goodwitch was able to figure out it was the woman from the Dust robbery."

"She was paying close attention." Ren explains. "I remember during the fight, Goodwitch narrowed her eyes at the sight of the woman."

"And that shows the difference between us and a real huntress." Weiss comments. "She actually had the experience to think ahead like that."

" **Wait." Ruby interrupts. "You think this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?"**

" **It's possible." Ozpin answers. "But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together." He gives Ruby an almost knowing look.**

' _Does he know something?_ ' Ren wonders. _'It almost seems like he's asking Ruby to reveal some key information.'_

" **Actually, I... I think I remember her saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast." Ruby stutters nervously. "Just outside the Kingdom." She points her thumb over her shoulder.**

"I thought you said you were subtle!" Weiss yells at Ruby. "You messed everything up in a matter of mere moments!"

"They didn't seem to catch on!" Ruby defends herself. "It's not as if I'm that bad a liar."

"Yes. You. Are!" Weiss stresses. "Don't tell me they didn't question you on that poor attempt at being sly, because I can't believe such a thing."

"Well they didn't, and we'll get to see it anyway." Ruby crosses her arms.

" **Interesting." Ozpin smiles, his level of understanding now clear.**

' _So that's what's been going on.'_ Ren realises. _'It's as if team RWBY were working for Ozpin this entire time, without even knowing it.'_

 **Goodwitch says. "I thought you said the intruder never…"**

" **Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby." Ozpin interrupts. "Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."**

"He, he, he." Ruby laughs nervously. "I mean, technically Goodwitch never finished her sentence so…"

"This just means Ozpin is okay with us making our own efforts." Weiss says. "I should have known that would be true, given how he once told us we have to be the ones to take the first step."

" **Any time." Ruby replies as she turns to leave the room.**

" **And Miss Rose." Ozpin calls, causing Ruby to look over her shoulder. "Please try and be ... discreet about this matter."**

" **Yes sir." Ruby nods, once again going for the exit.**

"Was he subtly telling you to tell us about everything?" Blake wonders. "It seems like it, but I can't be sure."

"It's not as if you were planning to hide it from us, were you sis." Yang says to Ruby.

"Well we've already seen how bad I am at keeping secrets." Ruby admits. "So it's not as if I'd be able to hide it."

"You were pretty good at hiding the truth about Penny." Sun brings up. "So you at least have that going for you."

"That was a personal secret entrusted to me by a friend." Ruby explains. "It had no relation to anything that could bring danger, and no one was asking me any questions. So I wasn't really lying."

 **The scene changes to door to Team RWBY's dorm room opening, revealing Yang, Blake, and Weiss inside. The three zoom over to the person in the door, who is revealed to be Ruby.**

" **What happened?" Yang asks excitedly.**

" **Uh... well, um..." Ruby laughs nervously.**

"No." Weiss grumbles. "I was hoping we would get some more information on Ozpin's group."

"We'll know more with time." Ruby tries to comfort her. "We haven't even gotten to the future yet, so we should just be glad about what we have learnt."

"At least now we know Cinder is our enemy." Ren says. "This way we'll be able to act pre-emptively to stop their next attempt." _'At what exactly, we don't know.'_

 **The scene cuts back to Ozpin's office, with Ironwood and Goodwitch looking out the window while Ozpin is sat in his chair.**

"Oh…" Weiss gives a faint sigh of relief.

"Guess you were worried for nothing." Jaune comments.

" **Well there we have it. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way." Ironwood declares.**

"Why didn't they do that?" Yang wonders. "It would have probably worked, right?"

"Doubtfully." Blake answers. "Torchwick would have certainly noticed, and then he would have started the attack on Vale without there being anyone there to prevent the Grimm from causing a massacre. It would have been especially bad since there wouldn't be as many Atlas knights to help deal with the bulk of the invading Grimm."

"Okay, I get it." Yang puts up her arms in surrender. "That would have been really bad."

"Also, Torchwick would have likely escaped." Weiss adds. "If not for Blake knocking him out, I doubt he would have been caught so easily."

 **Goodwitch growls in frustration. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di…!"**

" **Glynda!" Ozpin interrupts, raising his arm in protest.**

" **Well, he does." Goodwitch grumbles.**

"Eww, gross." Ruby shudders.

"You want to be a good huntress, right?" Yang asks.

"Well… yes." Ruby responds.

"Then you're gonna have to learn to put up with this kind of thing." Yang says. "Not all bad guys are going to be considerate of what they say."

Ruby huffs. "Fine."

" **She's right." Ozpin turns his chair to Ironwood. "As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."**

"Does he really think it could involve the other kingdoms somehow?" Sun asks. "I find that sorta hard to believe."

"Unless they know something we don't." Blake points out. "And that's certainly true given how they already had Qrow out looking for information."

"But what?!" Yang yells. "So far we've learnt barely anything about the point of all this. Why is Cinder's group doing this?"

"We can only wait and see." Blake answers.

 **Ironwood responds. "I have served you faithfully for years... but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defences, and wait…!"**

" **It is not!" Ozpin interrupts, abruptly stands up from his chair. "You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?"**

Jaune asks "Wait, does that mean…"

 **The scene cuts back to Team RWBY's dorm.**

"…you guys are meant to be the scouts?" Jaune continues.

"It would seem so." Weiss answers. "This entire time we thought we were acting on our own. But it turns out Ozpin was guiding us down the path the entire time."

"But we were the ones who chose the destination." Blake says. "And I don't think any of us regret our actions. All he's done is help us along the way."

"What are you all talking about?" Nora asks. "In what way has he been helping you along?"

"You'll see." Yang says. "It's probably in this video, and I would hate to spoil it."

" **That was a risky move." Weiss declares to Ruby.**

 **Blake says. "No, I think you handled it well."**

" **I hope so." Ruby responds in a soft tone.**

"I must take back what I said." Blake says. "While you were right to tell them about the southeast, it would have been better if you hadn't been so obvious."

"Though in that case we may have not gotten help from Ozpin." Yang points out.

"See!" Ruby stresses. "I know what I'm doing." She smiles giddily.

' _Sometimes I find that hard to believe.'_ Weiss thinks.

" **I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby." Yang says with her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Oh, I know what will cheer you up!"**

 **Yang produces a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.**

"Oh… You guys are in for a treat." Yang looks over to the non RWBY members.

"I'm getting excited already!" Nora bounces on her seat.

"Nora." Ren says bluntly. "You're making it hard to take notes."

"Oh." Nora calms down. "Sorry."

" **What's that?" Ruby asks.**

" **I don't know yet." Yang answers. "Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together!"**

" **Ooooh!" Ruby squeals. "Something from home!" She zooms over to Yang and wraps herself around Yang, trying to take the cylinder from her.**

"Someone seems excited." Jaune comments. "Are you always like this about things your dad sends?"

"I… err." Ruby responds sheepishly.

"She does." Yang confirms. "Though I think this time was especialy strange since she was trying to cheer herself up."

"Well… you know." Ruby responds. "Given what it ended up being, I was right to be excited."

 **The package opens, and another cylinder, hairy and black, falls out onto the floor and starts to shake and make unusual noises.**

"Err… What?" Sun reacts with confusion. "Am I missing something?"

"I forgot how this happened." Weiss recalls the event, ignoring Sun.

"Lucky you." Blake mutters.

 **The object suddenly transforms. Team RWBY leans in, staring at it.**

 **The corgi barks twice.**

"Oh my god!" Nora puts her hands to her checks and opens her mouth wide. "It's adorable!"

"That was quite unexpected." Pyrrha recovers from the initial shock. "I thought I recalled hearing a dog around that time. Should have guessed it would be something like that."

 **Yang raises her arms in excitement, Ruby does the same but jumps up in the air at the same time, Weiss covers her face with here arms and her body with her knee. But Blake has the strongest reaction, jumping in the air out of fear and hiding behind the nearest thing possible.**

' _Oh yeah.'_ Sun nods as he sees Blakes reaction. _'I understand why she would react like that.'_

" **Zwei!" Ruby announces the dog's name enthusiastically.**

" **He sent a dog?" Blake complains.**

" **In the mail?" Weiss adds.**

"How?!" Jaune asks. "How did your father even do that?"

"Life finds a way." Yang answers vaguely. "You'd be surprised what you can do with some spare time and plenty of determination."

" **Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!" Yang replies, as Ruby holds Zwei in her arms, laughing over the sound of Zwei licking her.**

" **Your father or your dog?" Blake asks, now hiding up in Ruby's bunk.**

"Both?" Ruby answers while tilting her head. "I guess that's right."

Pyrrha turns to look at Blake. "Were you okay?"

"I was." Blake responds. "Dogs just… unnerve me."

"Another Faunus trait?" Jaune asks.

"It is." Sun answers for Blake. "Most Faunus have an irrational fear of their animals predators. It's more along the lines of a phobia though, so it doesn't mean much."

"I can usually just ignore it, as long as I'm not focused on the fact I'm near a dog." Blake says. _'Though that doesn't mean I should just ignore the problem.' Blake thinks. 'I've wanted to overcome it for so long, but I can never bring myself to voluntarily get close to a canine.'_ He eyes dip. _'I'm such a coward.'_

 **Weiss leans in to look at the dog. "Are you telling me that this mangy..."**

 **Zwei looks at Weiss happily.**

"How can you not love that face." Nora holds her arms out to the screen. "Blake I understand, but you must truly have a heart of ice to act that way."

Weiss grins at this, choosing not to answer. _'Better to let her see it happen.'_

" **drooling..." Weiss continues.**

 **Zwei's loving gaze intensifies.**

Weiss's grin now turns into a full smile. _'I mustn't say anything. Not until my other self expresses herself.'_

' _I just can't see it.'_ Blake thinks _. 'Dogs are the one thing I just can't weight my feelings for properly. No matter how much Mum and Dad tried to help me with it.'_ She sighs. _'At least it's never been prevalent enough to force me to do something I regret. I can even handle dog Faunus pretty well, as long as I don't focus on their traits.'_

" **Mutt, is going to wiv wif us foweva?" Weiss's expression shifts as she starts speaking in baby talk. "Oh, yes he is, yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable!**

"Oh…" Nora's shoulders slouch. "I guess I was wrong about you, Weiss." She then makes a realisation, and looks at the heiress in mock anger. "You were waiting for that weren't you!"

"Perhaps." Weiss shrugs. "But I guess this means you can't call me ice queen from now on."

"You wish!" Nora yells. "It's only a matter of time until we see you something else."

" **Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake says, now at the farthest corner of Ruby's bed.**

' _Even the smell can make me slightly tense.'_ Blake thinks. _'While I am capable of putting up with it, I'd much rather not have to deal with that.'_

" **Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheatre?" Goodwitch speaks through the intercom.**

" **Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week." Weiss points out.**

"That's a good point." Sun agrees. "What did you end up doing?"

"Now, that is an interesting story." Yang says.

"In other words, you don't plan on telling us." Jaune deduces.

"We have to do this properly." Yang responds. "It wouldn't be right to ruin the entire viewing like that." _'Another good reason why I shouldn't show everyone the letter.'_ She assures herself. _'I don't want to cause people to jump to conclusions.'_

 **Ruby sets Zwei down and he walks over to Blake, still on the top bunk, and barks. Blake moves around on the bed, preparing to make a quick exit.**

' _This is so pitiful.'_ Blake watches herself. _'How can I claim to fight for equality when I react to someone's pet like this. It's even more shameful than I imagined.'_ She looks over to the others, only to notice that none of them seem to be focusing on her actions in the video. _'That's a relief.'_

" **Look, there's a letter!" Yang takes reaches into the cylinder to get it. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang." Zwei moves to sit next to Yang.**

"How can we expect a weeks worth of food to be stored inside that thing?" Jaune asks. "Especially since Zwei was already inside."

 **Yang holds the package out over Zwei's head causing dozens of cans of dog food spill out onto the unsuspecting corgi.**

Yang grins. "I told you, life finds a way."

Jaune covers his face with his hand. _'The more I see, the more impressive hunters seem. Especially the ones I'm friends with.'_

" **What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asks.**

' _Good question.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I believe those cans were specifically made to be dog proof.'_

 **A can opener falls from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head.**

" **Well, that settles it!" Yang throws the empty package away. "Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!" She then exits the room.**

"Can he really use that?" Nora asks sceptically. "I find that kinda hard to believe."

"Don't underestimate Zwei." Ruby says. "He can understand what people say, and has a tendency to help out in the most unexpected ways."

 **As she leaves, Weiss crouches slightly to speak to Zwei. "Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you." Her speech once again deteriorates into incomprehensible baby talk.**

' _Let it never be said that Weiss doesn't have a soft spot for animals.'_ Sun thinks.

 **Meanwhile, Blake jumps down from Ruby's bunk and jumps across the table, avoiding Zwei.**

"You seemed to be okay with being around Zwei later." Weiss says. "Why was it such a problem then?"

"Because later there were more important things to focus on." Blake answers. "I can deal with it when I know I don't have any other option."

 **Ruby stares at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily.**

' _There's no way.'_ Jaune thinks. _'This can't mean what I think it does.'_

 **The scene shifts to the girls entering the auditorium, with Ruby wearing a large backpack. She then puts it down next to other students luggage before rejoining her team, who are standing in front of Team JNPR.**

"I don't believe it." Jaune says. "Please tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

"Erm…" Ruby chuckle nervously. "That depends… but, probably."

"But why!?" Jaune asks. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

"I had a plan." Ruby complains. "Besides. It turned out it was a good idea."

' _I think we all know what this means.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Only Ruby would do something so crazy though.'_

" **Quiet! Quiet please." Goodwitch says to all the students. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin.**

' _Oh yeah. This speech.'_ Sun recalls. _'This made me realise why Beacon is considered the best hunter school. Ozpin is probably the wisest headmaster out of all of them, definitely more so that Lionheart.'_

" **Today we stand together, united." Ozpin begins his speech.**

" **Mistral." A crowd of students wearing black uniforms is shown.**

"Not the most… interesting attire, is it?" Yang comments.

"It can be a problem for me." Sun agrees. "Took a while for the teachers to accept that I'd refuse to wear the uniform."

" **Atlas." Another crowd is show, this one wearing white and having very formal stances.**

' _I'm so glad I didn't end up going there.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It's so much better being with people who have a real personality. Plus I don't have to put up with my father.'_

" **Vacuo." The next crowd it the most varied, wearing a variety of colours.**

"Of course they would have the most leeway in terms of uniform." Blake says.

"Shade may be the most lawful place in Vacuo, but you can't expect it to be the most organised school." Sun says. "Besides, I can't really think of any reason for uniforms to exist anyway. Aren't we all meant to be working together rather than competing?"

"That's true." Weiss agrees. "But we still need a certain level of competition in order to drive us to improve."

" **Vale." And finally a crowd with the iconic school uniform, with teams RWBY and JNPR standing in the back.**

""Woo!"" Ruby and Nora both cheer for their school. Ruby then turns to Sun. "You made a good point, but I have to agree with Weiss."

Weiss nods her head slightly while smiling.

" **The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression."**

' _The Great War.'_ Everyone thinks simultaneously.

' _The most impactful event in known history.'_ Weiss thinks.

' _The biggest mistake ever made.'_ Blake thinks. _'Be it by humans or Faunus.'_

' _The worst time to be alive.'_ Yang thinks.

' _It was a lesson on how we should never be divided.'_ Ruby thinks. _'The reason the peace has lasted so long is because we all know that war won't benefit anyone.'_

" **A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself."**

"It's still hard to believe." Jaune comments. "The idea that a war be fought for such a reason."

"It was to protect against the Grimm." Pyrrha explains. "But while some people think it would have worked, most agree that it would have left us powerless against the recent increase in Grimm activity."

" **We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for."**

"I certainly couldn't." Sun states. "Life is meant to be lived, we can't have the Grimm take even that away from us."

" **As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: colour. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity." The camera shifts between all the familiar students.**

' _And yet some people still see Faunus as freaks.'_ Blake thinks. _'Despite an entire war being fought for the sake of individualism, some people still don't have it in them to accept people with additional animal traits.'_

Weiss doesn't notice Blakes gloomy expression, so she gives her own lecture. "A person is always either named after a colour, has a name that sounds similar to a colour, has a name that means a colour, or they have a name that represents a colour in some way."

"I was thinking about that." Ruby speaks up. "What does Ozpins name mean?"

Weiss opens her mouth to answer, but then pauses upon realising she doesn't know what to say. "I… I actually don't know. Perhaps his parents hadn't caught onto the trend when he was born."

" **As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it."**

"That's our job." Yang says. "Hunters exist to make the world a better place. It's why the idea was formed in the first place."

' _It's like being a hero.'_ Ruby thinks. _'A profession meant for helping those who need it. I can't imagine doing anything else.'_

" **As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."**

 **Ozpin steps away as the students all begin to file out of the amphitheatre.**

"He certainly knows how to give a speech." Nora comments.

" **This is perfect!" Ruby says to her teammates. "All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!"**

" **Yeah! We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip by night!" Yang agrees.**

"Did this plan really work?" Pyrrha asks. _'I find it hard to believe a hunter wouldn't notice.'_

"Partly." Weiss answers. "It turns out the other part was unnecessary."

" **Let's check search and destroy." Weiss says.**

 **Team RWBY approaches a hologram screen. "Here we go!" Ruby points to the screen. "Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!"**

"They really let you take such a dangerous mission?" Sun asks. "No offense, but that kinda thing is usually not for first years."

"You'll see." Blake explains vaguely. "It's why we said that Ozpin's been supporting us."

Suddenly, Blake gets elbowed in the shoulder. "Oww!"

"What did I say about spoilers." Yang, the perpetrator, narrows her eyes. "It's no fun giving it all away."

"You didn't have to do that though." Blake complains.

"Aura will heal it." Yang dismisses. "It's not like we haven't all shrugged of much harder blows."

" **Well, it's in the southeast!" Blake agrees.**

" **Sounds perfect!" Yang says.**

 **Ruby selects it and types in her team name. However, the screen says that first years are not allowed to take this mission.**

' _And this will be where something happens to allow them to go anyway.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Probably Ozpin giving them permission.'_

 **Weiss sighs. "Wonderful."**

" **Any other ideas?" Blake asks.**

" **We mail ourselves there!" Ruby proposes.**

"There's no way that's possible." Pyrrha says. "Also, I believe it's illegal."

"It was just a joke." Ruby mumbles.

" **Well, that's one option." Ozpin says, suddenly entering the scene.**

" **Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students." Ozpin continues.**

' _I thought so.'_ Jaune grins. _'Now he's going to let them go on the mission anyway. Though it makes sense since they're more skilled than almost all second-year students.'_

" **It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose." Ozpin looks over the students.**

 **Weiss, Blake, and Yang glare at Ruby, who is rubbing her head sheepishly. "Whatever makes you say that?"**

Weiss rubs her eyes regretfully. "Why did I ever think he hadn't noticed anything. The signs were right there."

"Not to mention Ruby's terrible acting." Yang agrees.

Ruby doesn't respond to this, just looking at them both crossly. _'They're right though. Even I can't defend the way I was acting then.'_

" **I'm still curious how you all found yourself at the docks last semester." Ozpin says. "I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."**

" **Um... well..." Ruby stutters nervously.**

"I still wonder how anyone saw that last one." Blake remarks. "I don't remember seeing anyone nearby."

"He could have been lying." Weiss says. "Perhaps he used deductions to figure out what happened."

Team RWBY pauses for a moment, blank looks on all of their faces.

""Hahaha"" They all burst into laughter.

"As if anyone could figure that out." Yang remarks.

"It doesn't sound unreasonable to me." Ren remarks. "Unless you all got rid of the Paladins parts, he could have easily found out about them. From there it wouldn't be too hard to figure out what happened."

"That's…" Weiss tilts her head. "…true I guess. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised."

" **I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for." Ozpin shakes his head, signifying how he doesn't require they tell him. "So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?"**

 **Ozpin selects some things on his scroll, and the hologram screen makes a noise.**

' _Right again.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I am on a roll today.'_

"So Ozpin is willing to let us do things against the rules as long as it's for a good reason and we ask for permission." Nora says. "That's good to know for the future."

' _It is.'_ Ren mentally agrees. _'It will certainly make dealing with Cinder easier.'_

" **We won't let you down." Ruby declares confidently. "Thank you, professor."**

" **Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care." Ozpin warns them all. "Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck."**

"Well isn't he a bundle of joy." Yang says.

"He's right though." Blake warns them all. "While I was in the White Fang, I spent a lot of time traveling with other members. And in all that time, most of our losses weren't because of law enforcement, or even the radical racists that attacked us. It was the Grimm that hurt us the most."

"I-I…" Yang stutters after hearing this. "I understand, you're right." _'Though in your case they were probably drawn to the resentment the other members had.'_

 **Team RWBY leave the auditorium head on their way to the airship that will take them to Quadrant 5.**

" **That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang comments.**

" **But it's the truth." Blake says.**

" **It's gonna to be tough, but I know we can do it!" Ruby says to her team.**

"And we did!" Yang states proudly.

Blake narrows her eyes at Yang accusingly.

"What?" Yang puts her arms up defensively. "It's not as if everyone here doesn't already know."

Blake rolls her eyes and turns back to the screen.

 **A student runs past the team. "Hey! Team CFVY is back!"**

 **Beacon students gather around to witness the return of Team CFVY. Blake goes up to speak to Velvet.**

" **Velvet? Are you okay?" Blake asks.**

"Does Velvet know about you being a Faunus?" Sun asks. _'I find it hard to believe she wouldn't notice, especially if they're as close as this scene indicates.'_

"She does." Blake confirms. "I went to ask her about how she was being treated in Beacon, and she ended up directing it right back at me."

" **I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." Velvet gestures to the tall man with a massive sword.**

" **Your mission was supposed to end a week ago! What happened?" Weiss asks.**

" **Nothing happened. It was just ... there were just so many..." Velvet looks up and notices Team RWBY's worried expressions. "Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."**

"Why though?" Ruby wonders. "The Grimm have been getting worse recently, despite the increased effectiveness in which they're dealt with."

"Someone's been studying." Weiss comments. "And to answer your question, no one knows. It would be impossible to even speculate until we know more about what they really are and how they come into being."

" **Right." Yang says, now sounding slightly unnerved.**

" **I should go. Be safe, okay?" Velvet leaves to follow her team.**

" **We can do this." Ruby asserts. "We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now."**

' _We haven't.'_ Blake agrees. _'But when things got too hard for me, I just ran away from my problems.'_

" **Right." Blake nods her head, with confidence.**

' _But I won't run anymore.'_ Blake asserts to herself. _'I have to deal with this properly, and make sure none of us go down the wrong path.'_

" **Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!" Ruby says excitedly.**

"What was your huntsman called?" Sun asks. "Was he any good."

"You'll see." Yang grins. "It's only a couple more minutes until we see him."

" **Yeah!" Yang agrees.**

 **The scene immediately cuts to Team RWBY staring with various stunned expressions, having just discovered who they will be shadowing.**

"Or… right now." Yang says. "I guess I forgot about how it skips parts."

" **Why, hello girls! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Oobleck says, wearing a safari outfit with a pith helmet.**

 **Screen cuts to black.**

"Oh." Sun looks blankly at the screen after seeing Oobleck. "I'm so sorry for you guys."

"Dr Oobleck's great." Ruby argues. "He made me appreciate hunters in ways I never thought I would."

"I find that hard to believe." Yang says. "But tell us anyway."

Ruby grins as she looks at her sister. "Spoilers."

Yang goes silent for a moment, before chuckling at Ruby's response. _'I should have expected this would happen to me eventually.'_

Blake takes the remote Yang had put down earlier, and decides to start the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Cinder a part of a large organisation (?)

If so, how big is organisation? What do they want? What is Cinders role?

Cinder likely has another ally that made the Virus

Ozpins group already realised that CCT woman is the Dust robbery woman

Ozpin seems to know about RWBY investigations

Ruby tells Ozpin about southeast

Ozpin chooses to overlook contradictory information. Definitely knows about RWBY investigation

Ozpin encouraging investigation?

Ironwood wants to use overwhelming force

Ozpin suspects possibility of enemy group having larger plan, could extend to other kingdoms

Ozpin is confirmed as leader of his group

Ozpin guiding team RWBY sown a certain path? More along the lines of making it easier.

Ozpin gives speech on The Great War

RWBY too inexperienced for sector 5, so Ozpin decides to bend the rules

Ozpin willing to go against the rules when it is for a good reason

Reminder that Grimm activity has been increasing

Oobleck I the Hunter RWBY is following

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I make a point to use the name that the students know a person by. For example, I have to change Glynda to Goodwitch very often, or Roman to Torchwick. Thoughts?**

 **Did Cinder always have the name Fall (in the timeframe of the show), or did she just add it after becoming a full fledged maiden?**

 **I have a plan for the future that I am unsure about. However I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to read the fic naturally, so here's the plan: PM me with the words "I would like to know about Plan Silver". If you do this I will tell you what I want to do, and you can help me figure out a good way of doing it, or tell me the ideas stupid and I shouldn't do it in the first place.**

 **Also there's a new poll. This ones for fun though. If over 60% of people correctly guess my gender then I will watch all of RWBY Chibi for the first time. I will not be releasing the results though.**


	27. V2: C9: Search and Destroy

**A/N**

 **The poll on guessing my gender is now done. Unfortunately the correct answer didn't get over 60% so I will not be watching chibi. Don't worry though, I will be doing a similar poll in the future.**

 **To clarify the Oscar situation, I am adding him to the fanfic no matter what. There is nothing that can change this decision so could people please stop trying to convince me.**

 **Thanks to many helpful reviewers I now know that Cinder was always called Cinder Fall during her time at Beacon. I was previously worried that she only changed her name after the fall of Beacon, but it seems that she probably did it before the events of the show.**

 **I wasn't actively trying to quote 'Life finds a way' from Jurassic park. I just recalled the saying from somewhere and thought it would be appropriate.**

 **To the person who tried to guess my gender based on my username. I have never eaten a turnip to my knowledge, it's just a fun username.**

 **I will not be doing any first person segments. The reason is because I'm worried I will self project too much and accidently overwrite the characters.**

 **WoR will not be merged with other chapters. Sorry to anyone who hoped they would.**

 **I will not be adding Zwei to the viewing. Doing so would make it harder to write some of the more emotional scenes.**

 **Yang will not be revealing the letter to anyone until the moment I decide is best. I don't want everyone to have a skewed perspective.**

 **At one point I'm going to limit their ability to view chapters, that should give them more opportunity to prepare for the future. Side note: none of them age in this special space, but I won't tell them that since I don't want them to overly take advantage.**

 **I will not be doing any reactions to fanfics. I believe there are plenty of other fics out there that already do so, I haven't actually looked at them though. If there is a certain type of fic that you really want to see, I suggest making it yourself. That's how this fic came to be.**

 **I want to say the song I'm most looking forward to, but there are so many great options.**

 **People keep going on about how much they like Ren's notes. It's not much effort on my part though. Once we get to Vol 3 I'm hoping to make them much more detailed, for example I'm not currently writing any personal moments since Ren would feel like it's a breach of privacy, but later he won't know what has a chance of being important later on.**

 **Unfortunately I don't have a Rooster Teeth First account so I won't be able to watch the show as it comes out. But don't worry as I will be watching the very day I am able to. (must remember to take notes of my feelings during each chapter)**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 9: Search and Destroy**

"Not much we can get from that." Sun comments.

"I agree." Ren says. "We can't expect all of the titles to have any importance, though I we'll be able to learn more from them once we're watching the future."

"That still sounds so weird to me." Jaune says. "The fact that we're actually expecting to see things that haven't happened yet."

"Things that will likely never happen." Weiss points out. "The note was clear that we'd be given the opportunity to change it."

 **The opening ends to the still-horrified faces of Team RWBY upon seeing their guide for the week.**

" **Professor Oobleck?" Weiss asks hesitantly.**

"You've told us before that he was better than you expected." Nora states. "I guess that means we'll be able to see him in action."

"For a bit." Ruby admits. "But the best thing about him is the knowledge and experience he has."

' _That explains why he became a teacher.'_ Ren thinks. _'Even among Huntsmen, it's a very admirable occupation.'_

" **Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission." Oobleck talks fast, per the norm, as he paces in front of the students. "I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And..." He zooms up right to Weiss' face. "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!" He quickly backs away.**

" **Uh..." Weiss looks over at Blake, who is equally disturbed.**

"How tough was it?" Jaune asks. "I heard Mountain Glenn has the highest concentration of Grimm in the areas around Vale."

"It was pretty harsh." Ruby answers. "But as long as we stayed within each others line of sight, we could help anyone who was being overwhelmed."

"Though we had it easy." Blake says. Everyone looking to her, she sighs. "Our mission lasted barely a full day. Things would have been much worse if we had to keep going without significant rest."

" **Come now, children." Oobleck instructs. "According to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind… schedule!" He zips off to the airship docked farther ahead at an alarming speed.**

"How does he even do that?!" Sun asks. "I could barely see him moving!"

"The video seems to be exaggerating his speed." Weiss says. "Though even normally he seems really fast."

"He does seem to drink a bit too much coffee." Yang contemplates. "I'm not sure if he even drinks anything else."

"I think he does." Ruby puts on a thoughtful looks. "I can't remember there being any packed for the trip."

"That would explain why he seemed to calm down slightly." Blake says. "Though I emphasise the slightly."

" **Well, alright, then!" Ruby says all positive and upbeat. "Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck…" She suddenly becoming as depressed as her team. "Okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse."**

"Save the world seems like a slight exaggeration." Sun says. "Though I guess if things were worse, it could have put Vale in a lot of trouble."

Ren shakes his head at this. "It would have never been that bad. As long as there was only one entrance point, it would have been dealt with after some time. The most important thing is that less lives were at risk in that moment."

" **Save the world?" Nora yells from offscreen.**

 **Ruby's team turns around to see Nora along with the rest of team JNPR approaching.**

" **You're going on world-saving missions without us?" Nora says all dramatically. "I'm hurt... sad!" Her stomach rumbles. "Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault though, Ren..." She glares at her partner, who simply crosses his arms and turns away.**

"I was trying to teach you some self-restraint." Ren says. "We can't have ourselves failing missions simply because we had to return for more supplies."

Nora sighs. "I know." _'I've been working on it too. I think I should now be able to keep up with the food plan Ren always arranges.'_

" **Sounds exciting. Where ya going?" Jaune asks.**

" **Oh, just outside the kingdom..." Ruby explains.**

"You were still hiding information from us." Pyrrha observes, though no anger can be heard in her voice.

"Sorry." Ruby apologises meekly. "I wasn't sure what to say though. It was too late to invite you to join us."

"At least now we can do all of this together." Jaune says. "Whatever this is about, it's probably too big for a single team."

"Does that mean I can tell Neptune, Scarlet and Sage about everything?" Sun asks. "Believe me when I say they're reliable."

"That may not be the best choice." Weiss says. "Not that I want to sound rude, but we probably shouldn't tell anyone we don't have to."

"But why!?" Nora yells. "Surely we'd be better off with more people."

Weiss sighs, rubbing her forehead. "We need to be sure that the people who know, don't go talking about it. Otherwise we may loose the advantage of information."

"But you can trust them!" Sun stresses. "You already know Neptune well enough, and I can guarantee that Scarlet and Sage are reliable."

"But will they talk among each other." Weiss counters. "As long as the virus is still around, we need to keep quiet."

Everyone pauses at this sudden realisation. None of them having considered how dangerous the virus may be.

"You think they can listen in on our conversations?" Blake asks.

"We can't be sure." Weiss answers. "So we need to be careful, otherwise we lose the initiative."

' _She's right.'_ Yang thinks. _'Ruby must eventually realise this, so that's why she decides to contact me through a letter.'_

" **Hey! So are we!" Nora says.**

" **Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village." Pyrrha explains.**

" **We set out tomorrow." Ren says.**

"What happened with that?" Blake asks. "You ended up helping us fight during The Breach, was everything okay at the village?"

"It was fine." Jaune answers. "Ren was worried so he called to find out the situation."

"It turns out that most of the weaker Grimm were drawn towards Vales borders during The Breach, where they were quickly defeated by the defence system." Ren explains. "The sheriff was able to use this opportunity to take out some of the more dangerous Grimm that had been troubling them for a while."

"Glad to know something good came out of it." Weiss comments. "It's also good to know about the Grimm's instincts being used against them."

" **Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune says, as he and Sun approach the two groups. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges."**

 **Jaune looks at them with awestruck eyes and sparkles appearing around him.**

"It was pretty amazing." Sun boasts. "It was actually surprising how much people seemed to treat us with an air of respect."

" **We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk." Sun explains. "So we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know... normal."**

"And look how that turned out." Sun says. "There we were, thinking things would be fine since you were all outside of the kingdom. But the next thing we know, you're driving a train literally through a nearby store, with a Grimm invasion on your tail."

"That was not our fault!" Yang argues. "Torchwick was the one who caused it."

"Under the orders of Cinder." Weiss adds. "I still find it baffling how he thought he could get away with it though."

"He probably didn't intend to stick around." Blake says. "But he was too preoccupied with fighting us that he wasn't prepared."

 **Ruby says. "Well…"**

" **Four minutes, ladies!" Oobleck appears from the airship to call to Team RWBY, who are embarrassed. He goes back inside as their friends smile awkwardly at the girls.**

"One day we may actually be on time for Oobleck's schedule." Ruby says. "Won't that be amazing."

"We are usually on time." Weiss points out. "You just don't notice it because he doesn't draw attention to it."

" **Well, uh... wish us luck!" Ruby says successfully this time. With that, the friends disband, either back to Beacon Academy or towards their mission.**

"This means we'll get to see what happened on your mission!" Nora says excitedly. "Did you fight any rare Grimm."

"We didn't." Blake answers. "It was just the usual East Sanus kind."

 **Cut to the airship flying over buildings and streets amid deafening turbines.**

" **I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter." Yang says to Oobleck.**

" **I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles." Oobleck responds.**

"He a good fighter?" Jaune asks.

"He's pretty skilled." Ruby answers. "But he's still at a level where we can properly fight alongside him."

"He's definitely not a combat specialist." Yang adds. "It was sorta disappointing. I was hoping to see a hunter who could fight at the same level as uncle Qrow."

"I'm guessing your uncle is a combat specialist?" Pyrrha asks.

"He's the best!" Ruby cheers.

"He certainly didn't overlook his fighting abilities." Yang smiles.

" **Like the mushroom?" Ruby tilts her head in confusion.**

 **Blake leans over. "Those are truffles."**

" **Like the sprout?" Ruby still scratches her head in befuddlement.**

 **Yang also leans over. "Those are Brussels."**

"You seriously didn't know what they were?" Nora asks.

"I did!" Ruby protests. "But it was really hard to hear over the engines and all the wind."

" **Besides…" Oobleck continues. "…given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!"**

' _And his knowledge of those things turned out to be the reason we were able to find Torchwick so quickly.'_ Blake thinks.

" **What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asks.**

 **Oobleck turns sharply on Weiss. "Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager."**

"In many ways, he isn't wrong." Ren says. "Knowledge of past mistakes is the best way of preventing future tragedy."

"Second best." Weiss points out. "We will eventually be seeing the future, and that means we can rely on the context being applicable to whatever problems we may face."

"That does bring up an interesting point though." Pyrrha says. "How much should we change the future. Because if we don't change much, we should be able to better predict what comes next."

All of them go into thought on this, as it's not a question will a simple answer.

" **And that means..?" Weiss questions.**

" **The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!" Oobleck explains.**

" **Mountain Glenn." Ruby says, bringing everyone's attention to her.**

' _It was an extremely large project. Supposed to be the first attempt at creating an area that would have the equivalent of a kingdoms natural protection, all made using mankind's advanced technology.'_ Weiss thinks. _'If it had succeeded, there's a good chance there would be many more areas just like it.'_

" **That's right! It was an expansion of Vale..." Yang remembers. "But in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city."**

" **Correct!" Oobleck agrees. "And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder."**

" **And a likely place for a hideout." Blake points out.**

 **Oobleck adjusts his glasses and smiles. "Precisely!"**

"Why didn't people check there earlier?" Ruby asks. "If it's such a likely place for criminals to hide, then shouldn't there be patrols to prevent that?"

"That could never work." Blake explains. "Mountain Glenn is far too big to do something like that. Also, the concentration of Grimm is far too high for regular soldiers. It would also be futile since criminals would rarely hide there for an extended amount of time, otherwise they would surely be overwhelmed by the Grimm."

 **The airship comes in over a spot of street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the ruined area. It hovers right above the ground as Yang, Blake, Oobleck, Weiss, and Ruby all jump out of the craft with weapons drawn (minus the doctor, who simply holds his coffee canister) before the ship flies away from the destruction.**

" **Ladies!" Oobleck calls the attention of team RWBY. "You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?"**

"Was he bossy at all?" Sun asks.

"Not really." Yang answers. "It was mostly just common sense and leading us in whatever direction he thought had a high chance of our enemies hiding."

 **The girls nod, but Oobleck suddenly looks at Ruby, startling her. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."**

"I completely forgot about that." Jaune mutters. "Is everyone on the same page as to what is within the bag?"

"Yep." Nora agrees.

"Yeah." Sun says.

"Pretty sure." Pyrrha responds.

Ren simply nods his head.

"I'm honestly ashamed of having not noticed before we got on the airship." Weiss admits.

"I didn't notice either." Blake says. "And if I didn't notice, I doubt you could have."

' _But I'm her partner.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I'm supposed to be there to make sure she doesn't make mistakes.'_

Ruby simply fidgets with her fingers, waiting for the conversation to end.

" **But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet." Ruby says. "So I didn't." The rest of her team figuratively of literally facepalm at this.**

"That has got to be the worst excuse I have ever heard!" Sun raises his arms in disbelief. "That would be like Torchwick saying that no one actually told him not to cause a Grimm invasion."

" **She's not wrong..." Oobleck mutters to himself. "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return."**

"That really worked?" Nora furrows her eyebrows. "Remind me to go to Oobleck if I ever do something wrong."

" **But I, well uh…" Ruby nervously puts up her hand in protest.**

" **Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with..." Oobleck stops as the bag's zipper opens and out pops Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest.**

Weiss chuckles at this. _'Before I was so caught up in how strange it was, that I didn't realise how hilarious the entire situation was.'_

" **Get back in the bag." Ruby whispers to her dog through the side of her mouth.**

 **Zwei merely barks happily in response.**

"That's not gonna work." Nora comments. "You're too far deep at this point."

' _Wait until she sees how it turns out.'_ Yang internally grins.

" **We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?" Oobleck deadpans, as background music steadily builds up the tension.**

" **I, uh..." Ruby steadily steps away from Oobleck's gaze.**

' _This can't end well.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I wonder what kind of punishment Oobleck ended up thinking of.'_

" **Genius!" Oobleck yells as he backs away, the music now light and upbeat.**

"W…what?" Jaune asks confused. "What just happened."

"Just watch." Weiss chuckles. "It's quite funny now that I think about it."

 **Ruby shrugs to her teammates at the sudden change in atmosphere, before the teacher speeds past and snatches the pet away from her, causing her to stumble to the ground as Oobleck spins Zwei in the air.**

' _Ruby was really lucky with how this turned out.'_ Yang thinks. _'If it had been someone else then I expect they would have been extremely angry. Also Zwei is one of few dogs that would be capable of handling itself during the mission.'_

" **Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" Oobleck declares, with Zwei barking happily in his hands.**

"I suppose he has a point." Pyrrha admits. "Though I find it unlikely that corgi would be the best companion."

"Did he actually help during the mission?" Sun asks.

Ruby answers. "Sorta. You see…"

"Stop!" Yang demands. "No spoilers."

Ruby argues. "But…"

"I said no!" Yang states firmly. "They can watch for themselves."

' _I don't actually know the answer to that question.'_ Blake thinks. _'Though maybe I shouldn't say that out loud.'_

" **I'm a genius!" Ruby asserts proudly, having recovered from her previous shock.**

 **Weiss and Yang both facepalm at their grinning leader.**

"You're certainly some kind of genius." Weiss admits, with Ruby beaming in happiness at her words. "Though sometimes I think you're just a genius at being lucky."

Ruby keeps her glowing smile on, ignoring Weiss's later words.

" **So, what are your orders, Doctor?" Blake asks.**

" **Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it!" Oobleck suddenly lets go of Zwei and takes on a serious pose. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hot spot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behaviour, one of which being... Grimm."**

"Errrr… duh!" Nora remarks. "You'd think a professor would be capable of figuring out a better explanation than that."

' _I'm just going to let this happen.'_ Ruby think. _'Yang would probably yell at me otherwise.'_

" **Uh, what?" Juby asks, just as confused as her teammates for the redundancy.**

" **Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment." Oobleck explains.**

' _Oh.'_ Nora thinks. _'That would explain it. Wish team RWBY would have given us some kind of heads up though.'_

" **What?!" Yang yells, as she and the others turns to look at the lone Beowolf wandering into the street.**

 **Team RWBY all draw their weapons in preparation for the fight.**

"That's nothing." Nora remarks. "You should have seen the hordes of Grimm me and Ren have had to deal with."

"Nora." Ren gets his partners attention. "What have I told you about lone Beowolves."

Nora sighs. "Probably something really insightful that I constantly forget."

" **Stop!" Oobleck says.**

" **Huh?" Blake remarks, as she and the others turn to look at Oobleck in confusion, lowering their weapons to listen.**

" **There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harbouring ill intent." Oobleck explains.**

"So Oobleck knew about how you were after the White Fang?" Sun asks.

"He did." Blake confirms. "Ozpin thought it would be the best way of making sure we didn't run away during the night."

" **So... what now?" Ruby asks.**

" **We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." Oobleck answers.**

"It's slightly ironic how the greatest threat to humanity is also a homing beacon to the second greatest threat." Weiss says.

"Though that rarely works." Pyrrha says. "Attempts to use the Grimm in any way, shape or form have a tendency to go horribly wrong."

' _You don't need to tell us that.'_ Ruby thinks. _'We're already very aware of how badly those kind of experiments can go.'_

" **How long do we wait?" Yang asks.**

" **It's uncertain." Oobleck puts on his thinking face. "Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months."**

"That's very rare from what we can tell." Ren says. "You would be best of just killing it if you can't find the pack in a single day."

"… **and there's the whole pack." Oobleck states.**

 **Oobleck's sudden realization is true: Five Beowolves are already following the first.**

"How about a few seconds?" Yang asks sarcastically. "How long have they been know to stay isolated for that long?"

"It would seem it was never isolated." Ren states. "It was merely a scout that was ahead of the others."

" **What?" Weiss says.**

" **And now they've seen us." Oobleck informs them.**

" **What?!" Weiss yells.**

" **AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!" Oobleck yells loudly into Weiss's ears.**

' _He didn't have to yell so loudly.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It certainly didn't make using my Glyphs easy when my ears were ringing.'_

" **I take it tracking is out of the question?" Ruby says.**

" **An accurate assumption, yes." Oobleck agrees.**

"It wouldn't have worked either way, given the circumstances." Blake comments. "So it was actually a good thing they spotted us. This way we didn't have to waste our time."

" **What's the plan, then?" Yang asks.**

 **The team turns to their teacher as the creatures close in.**

" **Show me what you're capable of." Oobleck says calmly.**

"Hell yeah!" Nora pumps her fist. "First official mission, start!"

"You didn't have any part in it." Ruby points out."

"I can still be excited though." Nora replies. "Besides, this ended up practically being our mission too."

' _She's not wrong.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Ozpin even went out of his way to commend all of us who fought during The Breach.'_

 **Ruby swings Crescent Rose to prepare it for shooting. "Cover your ears, Zwei!" The dog does so, curling up into a ball.**

' _That's so adorable.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I'm guessing his heightened sense of hearing makes the sound of Ruby's sniper very irritating.'_

 **A single Beowolf and smiling Yang run towards one another, ending with the blonde knocking it out in one fiery punch as they pass. Several stop chasing after the party girl to focus on Blake, who stands and waits with hand on her hilt until one of the enemy swipes at her afterimage, the real deal slicing her would-be attacker in half before slashing through another and cutting down on one more.**

"I will admit that the amount of Grimm in Mountain Glenn is much more than any of the places I've travelled." Blake says. "It was honestly quite exhausting to have to fight so often."

' _You don't need to tell me or Nora that.'_ Ren thinks. _'Whenever we were travelled alone, it was quite the task to stay safe.'_

 **Behind the Faunus, Weiss runs from several black-coated beasts before jumping in the air and taking one down with Myrtenaster. She dashes towards them with rapier held high and slays four of them in a straight line until she stops. A wave of Beowolves are converging on Ruby, but the scythe wielder shoots multiple bullets at the oncoming force... while Zwei is busy chasing his own tail. He stops to watch his owner fire forward and, after a dramatic mid-air stare-off, cut the single remaining Grimm in two.**

' _Zwei was as careless as ever.'_ Yang smiles. _'I guess that just means he trusts us all to deal with it.'_

 **One the fighting is over, Ruby looks to Oobleck and grins. "Heh. Piece of cake!"**

" **Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" Oobleck proposes.**

' _Less fights then should have been expected.'_ Blake thinks. _'Once again, we were luck enough to stumble upon our enemies.'_

 **Continue they do, as it cuts to Ruby slicing with her scythe, Blake readying her weapon, and Oobleck rooting through a plant as Grimm parts fall around him.**

"What's he doing?" Jaune asks.

"Apparently you can tell if people have been nearby recently based on the wildlife." Ruby explains. "He was checking for any signs."

' _I should probably look that up at some point._ ' Ren thinks. _'Though it should probably be after we deal with the Cinder problem.'_

" **Excellent work, girls!" Oobleck looks on at the new batch of monster corpses, with the tired girls catching their breath. "Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!"**

' _Easy enough for him to say.'_ Yang thinks. _'He didn't end up doing any of the physical work.'_

 **As they follow Oobleck, with Ruby sheathing her scythe and beckoning Zwei to follow, Yang irritably asks. "Hey, Doc, y'know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a pro Huntsman in action. Like, fighting, or at least, helping us fight?"**

" **Ah, but I am in action!" Oobleck answers over his shoulder. "Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity!" He then turns fully turns to the team. "Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, girls. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination! Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that."**

' _And I used to think being a Huntress would mean just fighting lots of Grimm and seeing interesting places.'_ Yang remembers. _'Though I would still like that to be my main focus.'_

" **Well, yeah..." Yang answers. "O-Of course!" She tries to sound more resolute with her second answer.**

" **Hmm..." Oobleck gives a thoughtful look at Yang's response.**

Weiss sighs. _'It seems he saw right through Yang. Though that does bring up what his thoughts were for my motivation.'_

 **The scene changes to the view of another victory for RWBY and their mentor amid the noise of fired shots, but switches again to Oobleck and Yang away from the group.**

" **Tell me, Yang. Why did you choose this line of work?" Oobleck asks the blond.**

" **Huh?" Under Oobleck's gaze, Yang answers. "Well, to fight monsters and save…"**

" **No, that is what you do." Oobleck cuts her off. "I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress."**

' _Because it's a good thing to do.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Being a huntress is about being an expert at helping those who need saving.'_

" **The honest reason?" Yang considers this for a moment, then answers. "I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, y'know?"**

"That's your reason?" Nora asks.

"Well… yeah." Yang admits. "I know its's not the best reason, but at least I want to do the right thing."

' _That's true.'_ Nora admits to herself. _'But it just seems so shallow. I want to be a Huntress because Remnant needs more people out there protecting villages from the Grimm. No one should have to go through the same thing as me and Ren.'_

" **I see." Oobleck responds.**

' _So that's the reason why.'_ Ruby thinks, unsure of what to say _. 'I guess I always knew it, but I thought the thrill was just a side reason. But still, that doesn't change anything!'_ She sits up confidently and assures herself. _'Yang has the right to seek her own form of happiness, especially if it involves helping people along the way.'_

 **After the next transition, Oobleck is sitting on a high windowsill writing in his journal while Weiss fights off Beowolves below.**

' _Me next.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I'm not very proud of the answer I gave then though.'_

" **And you, Miss Schnee?" Oobleck asks. "A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So... why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?"**

"This… seems to be getting quite personal." Jaune remarks.

"There's no getting around it." Weiss says. "We can't skip any parts, so we should just be grateful we're all friends."

"I guess." Jaune replies. _'I've already had my greatest secret revealed.'_

 **Weiss impales her last foe on her blade and drops the body. "It's exactly as you said. I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honour to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty."**

' _In a way, I feel the same.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'With natural abilities like mine, it would be a waste to do anything g else. Being a Huntress is what I'm supposed to strive for, it's my destiny.'_

' _I've always been chasing a legacy.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But it doesn't seem like it's exactly the same way for Weiss. I can tell that there's something more to it. I guess it's the same for me too, since coming to Beacon and getting to know everyone, I've learned to fight for a better reason. I was inspired to follow everyone else's example.'_

 **Oobleck nods at this response. "Interesting."**

"I should mention how that wasn't the only reason." Weiss says defensively, expecting the others to look down on her for her weak reasoning. "I want to do more than just uphold the legacy. I just… don't know how to say it though."

"We understand." Ruby says supportively. "We all know how you're a good person at heart."

Weiss smiles in relief. _'Thank you so much.'_

 **The next scene plays, where Blake slashes a door down and releases a swarm of small Nevermores from the building, which she back-flips under before she shoots them all with her blade's pistol form.**

"And now me." Blake states. _'I will never regret the reason I gave. But my inability to link it to being a huntress is like a stain on my entire life.'_

 **Oobleck examines the inside of the doorway. "And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose."**

" **There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing." Blake answers. "Inequality, corruption... Someone has to stop it."**

"Very true." Ren nods his head. _'While that may not be the fight I have dedicated myself to, that doesn't mean I don't want to aid her in her plight.'_

" **Very well." Oobleck agrees, then asks his own question. "How?"**

" **I, uh..." Blake stutters with her answer in the realisation that doesn't have one.**

"And that's where it all falls apart." Blake admits. "I don't know the best way to bring about the right kind of change. I used to think I did, but I was wrong. My decisions are what helped bring about a malicious group." She looks down mournfully.

The room goes silent. This is a very delicate matter, that no one is confident enough to have the right answer.

"I don't know the answer." Sun speaks up. "But you helped show me the attitude we should have towards these kinda things. Soooo… I suggest just being a good person. Inspire others to do the right thing through your actions and success."

"That's not a real answer." Blake replies. _'But I suppose there is some wisdom to be found in those words.'_

 **Oobleck Hmm's to himself, then dashes away, leaving Blake to bow her head in troubled thought.**

 **Later, Ruby is using her weapon to lift a whole turkey on the sharp end of her gun to tease a jumping and flipping Zwei with it.**

"And now Ruby?" Jaune asks. _'I've always wanted to know what drives a person so pure.'_

Ruby laughs nervously. "Not… really…"

 **Ruby notices her teacher watching, quickly sheathing Crescent Rose. "Sorry! Uh... Are we ready to keep going?"**

"You could have been a bit more vigilant." Weiss says.

"I know." Ruby's expression drops slightly. "I still need to work on my awareness."

" **Nope! I believe that will have to do for today." Oobleck answers. "It's going to be dark soon." He throws his bag over to Yang, who makes a sound when she catches it. "You three, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby."**

"I'm guessing you were able to clear out all of the nearby Grimm." Pyrrha says.

"Everything within a block." Yang confirms. "It's not too hard as long as you stay calm throughout."

 **Ruby follows Oobleck as he walks away from the rest of RWBY, who each look at their leader, thinking they know what she'll be asked.**

' _So now we get to see this exchange.'_ Blake thinks. _'I was wondering what they talked about.'_

 **As Ruby follows Oobleck around the corner of a building, she sees something off-screen that makes her gasp in awe.**

 **The camera shifts to show a wide forest stretching below the ruin, and in the midst of it, a line of giant elephants with the black and white features of animals of darkness marching through the trees. "What is that? It looks awesome!" Ruby says.**

"Awesome." Yang deadpans as she raises an eyebrow at her sister.

"I didn't know!" Ruby complains. "This was my first time seeing creatures so big, even if they were Grimm."

"I suppose if that was your first time seeing an elder Grimm then it would be quite surprising initially." Nora says. "And I can't blame your reaction given how you were safe at that moment."

"Thank you!" Ruby smiles in appreciation.

" **That, my dear girl, is a Grimm." Oobleck informs her.**

"And this is why it's been impossible to lessen the Grimm in Mountain Glenn." Weiss says. "With monsters like that, it's become the main invasion point for the event of Grimm invading the Kingdom."

"But we'd still be safe. Right?" Sun asks.

"Certainly." Weiss reassures them all. "The advancements Atlas makes in border control have always grown at a better rate than how more powerful Grimm arrive at the borders. With the new Atlesian Knight there shouldn't be any need for worry when it comes to being invaded."

 **Ruby stares at the lumbering mass of monsters in amazement and awe before pulling out her gun. "Let's kill it."**

" **I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size." Oobleck says.**

"Grimm like that can only be taken down by close range weapons." Ren agrees. "That or mounted artillery."

" **But... What if it attacks us?" Ruby worries.**

" **Fret not, Ruby; those Goliaths are not concerned with us." Oobleck comforts her. "Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you fought, that they've undoubtedly lived hundreds of years, and in that time between killing humans and attacking our borders, they have done one important thing: They've learned."**

"Knowledge. One of the greatest weapons humanity has against the Grimm." Blake says. "And yet unfortunately, they have the ability to gain it too."

"But only as a means to an end." Weiss says. "All studies have concluded that Grimm only use their abilities to find the best way of killing. They have no true capacity for growth."

" **They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will only bring more." As Oobleck says this, one Goliath swivels its thick neck to look at the figures watching their march.**

"So why don't we bring a necessary force to eliminate them?" Jaune asks. "If even they know that we can kill them, then why haven't we?"

"It isn't that simple." Pyrrha explains. "Fighting in retaliation is also meant to defend us from the threat of being attacked. But if we were to attack for no reason, then that would just be asking for bloodshed, and not enough people are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good to create a big enough force to be useful."

' _There have been attempts though.'_ Weiss recalls. _'Unfortunately those expeditions have always ended up having a survival rate of under 70%'_

" **Then why are they still so close to the city?" Ruby asks. "What are they doing?"**

" **Waiting." Oobleck explains.**

"Waiting for an opportunity to attack us." Yang says. "For some kind of signal to draw them all to form a united attack."

"And this is why the council goes to disturbing lengths to ensure public happiness." Blake says. "It's literally a be happy or die situation."

' _And this is why we have to stop Cinder.'_ Ruby thinks. _'We already know that she's willing to cause a panic to achieve her goals. Who knows what she may try to do next.'_

 **The one Goliath turns its head forward again and moves on with its kin. Oobleck turns around and walks away as well, and Ruby puts away her weapon.**

" **Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby says.**

" **Hmm?" Oobleck responds.**

' _Wait. So Ruby is the one asking the question here.'_ Yang thinks. _'Perhaps that's why he didn't ask her.'_

 **Ruby says. "I was wondering..."**

" **Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?" Oobleck interrupts, as he stops walking and turns back to Ruby.**

"Yes!" Weiss remarks loudly. "I've been wanting to know the answer to that."

Ruby looks slightly downcast. "Sorry to disappoint."

" **A-Actually, I was wondering... Why did you want to become a Huntsman?" Ruby asks.**

"Wow." Nora remarks in shock. "Now that's a good question."

' _It's the question me, Yang and Weiss should have been asking him.'_ Blake realises. _'He's the one who knows what makes a good Hunter, so we should have gotten his insight.'_

" **Look around and tell me what you see." Oobleck gestures to the surrounding area.**

 **Ruby takes a look around. "Lots of old buildings, uh, empty streets..."**

"I can already tell that this is going to get really philosophical." Jaune comments.

"Sorta." Ruby replies. "I'm not entirely sure what counts as philosophy though."

" **I see lives that could have been saved." Oobleck continues walking with Ruby beside him and Zwei at their heels. "As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people, and although I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher, I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom."**

"I told you all before." Ruby says. "Oobleck gave me a new way of appreciating what Hunters do."

"Y-yeah I get it." Yang agrees, taking in what she's just heard. _'Now I feel bad for not paying more attention during his lessons. All he wants to do is help us save lives.'_

' _What an admirable person.'_ Sun thinks. _'This is the kind of ideals that all academy teachers should try to live up to.'_

" **I look at this wasteland, and I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity; an opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy, and therefore become stronger." Oobleck stops for his final answer. "I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be."**

' _Such a simple but clear answer.'_ Weiss thinks. _'We won't do any good working a job we hate, so it's better to do something we can be proud of.'_ She smiles in the confirmation that she's make the right choice in becoming a Huntress. _'I can be proud of how I'm trying to make things better. And that's why I can stand up to my father.'_

' _I can't imagine myself doing anything else.'_ Yang thinks. _'If I don't become a Huntress, I'm not sure if I could live with myself.'_

 **Back at the building, the team has done as instructed, building a fire in the centre of the room and huddling around it or standing up.**

" **I can't believe we didn't find anything..." Yang says, frustrated.**

" **We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake says.**

"Though that's not entirely true in this case." Blake says.

"What does that mea… okay I won't ask." Jaune falters under Yang's glare.

" **That's not what I meant." Weiss says, slightly off-topic.**

" **Huh?" Blake prompts for more details.**

" **Earlier, about... upholding the legacy." Weiss explains. "There's more to it than that."**

"It's hard." Weiss admits. "Being confronted with everything you've worked towards." She feels a tint of regret in saying this, but then reminds herself that she trusts everyone here.

"Weiss I…" Ruby struggles to say anything uplifting. _'I've never had to deal with this kind of problem before.'_

" **Yeah... No, me too. I mean... I don't know." Yang struggles give her reasons.**

" **I don't know, either." Blake admits. "I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time."**

' _But that leads to the problem of not foreseeing what your actions will cause.'_ Blake thinks. _'I need to make a real plan for my life, or I could end up making the same mistakes all over again.'_

" **Well, it doesn't matter. We know why we're here. Right?" Yang looks to the others, who stand in silent realisation that they can't put it into words.**

' _We've grown since then.'_ Yang thinks. _'Even watching this now has helped me understand my problems.'_

" **Ah, wonderful. A textbook campfire!" Oobleck suddenly comes rushing into the room.**

" **Fire!" Ruby exclaims happily, immediately sitting down next to the blaze alongside Zwei. "So... warm..."**

"It was getting really cold outside." Ruby says. "It was starting to get my hands slightly numb."

"Then why don't you just get some gloves." Yang suggests. "I keep telling you to change your outfit a bit."

"I can never find anything I like!" Ruby complains. "When I find a good outfit, then I'll swap for it." _'But definitely not the hood.'_

" **Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed." Oobleck instructs them all. "We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?"**

 **Ruby lifts an arm while still looking into the fire, simply answering. "Yo."**

' _Much better to go first.'_ Ruby thinks. _'That way it doesn't feel like my sleep is being interrupted.'_

 **Oobleck rushes off, and Ruby gets up to go over to her lookout point.**

" **Hey." Yang calls for her sisters attention as she passes. "Did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?"**

"I suppose it's not surprising that you'd think Ruby would be asked too." Pyrrha says.

' _But it's different.'_ Yang thinks. _'Since he didn't ask her, that means he had reason to ask the rest of us.'_

" **Hmm... No, he didn't." Ruby replies, then puts on her usual gleeful tone. "Weird. Oh, well; good night, guys!" Without a second carefree thought, she continues on her way.**

"So why do you want to be a Huntress?" Sun asks bluntly.

Ruby tilts her head. "I think I already explained it during volume one. I want to be like one of the heroes from the stories."

' _Not a slither of doubt in her answer.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Yang was right about how it's all she's ever wanted to be.'_

 **Yang looks disappointed in the lack of an answer. Blake is similarly troubled as she unrolls her mat, Weiss tries lying down but fails to sleep, Yang half-heatedly eats her dinner of bread rolls. Soon, all three Huntresses are on their backs around the fire, weapons within easy access, wondering why they are there.**

 **Ruby, meanwhile, is sitting in the vacant windowsill of the room as Zwei goes over to her upon hearing the howling of Beowolves. She pets her pooch on the back. "Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow."**

"Were they?" Nora asks.

"That depends." Yang answers. "You already know how we found Torchwick. But the events leading up to that… let's just watch it."

 **Master and pet look out onto the rubble and stare in silence until the scene goes dark.**

Without hesitation, they start the next chapter.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Team RWBY leaves on mission

Zwei is with team RWBY

Oobleck knows about plans to track down Torchwick

Day finishes without any clues

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I have not seen episode 1 of Volume 6 yet. I don't have a first account so I'll always be a week behind. I have a fool proof strategy to avoid spoilers in the reviews though. Could people please leave fake spoilers where they says things that aren't true about the newest episode, that way I'll be unable to distinguish what is or isn't true.**

 **I remember saying that I wouldn't be posting chapters while a volume is being released. That is only half true in this case. I will be finishing the rest of Vol 2 but from then on there won't be any chapters until Vol 6 is finished, I will however be working on the Vol 3 chapters, so expect a fast upload schedule at one point.**

 **I've been considering adding a limit of one new video per day once they get to Vol 4. Thoughts?**


	28. V2: C10: Mountain Glenn

**A/N**

 **Firstly, shout out to SuperKaiokenGoku for reviewing first on the previous chapter. I will not be doing this ever again, so don't even bother. I will however be doing a most useful review shout out from now on.**

 **The best review in the previous chapter was by LogicalFallacies. I greatly appreciate the criticism of me not displaying the reactions nonverbally enough. During the 'hiatus' I will be looking through my entire story to make it smoother around the edges, so this is an important thing for me to keep in mind while doing so.**

 **I tried the fake spoiler strategy, and while it did work in a way, it became incredibly annoying eventually. Please stop.**

 **To fully explain something from last chapter. I want the group to make the most of their time in the mysterious location, so I think it's best to eventually force them to wait for an amount of time before watching the next important video. This will not affect my upload schedule in any way other than the fact that I may write more for each chapter (adding to the time during the production prosses.)**

 **During the 'hiatus' caused by Volume 6, I will probably be posting some one-shot chapters every now and then that don't relate to the story. This will be a good way of keeping others up to date with my situation.**

 **I honestly don't like the Weiss/Neptune ship, but I will be doing whatever the show does.**

 **Sorry if it feels like I'm overexplaining things. I want as much of this fic to be unique, and I sometimes struggle to write any reactions to certain events. Explaining events is one way of overcoming this.**

 **If you think someone is acting out of character, please give an example. That will help me fix it.**

 **I will be keeping character thoughts, they are very important to seeing a persons reaction when they don't want others in the group to know.**

 **The group will keep watching this until the show is over and they have seen all the videos. After that I'm hoping to make a fic about what they do afterwards, but that will require a monumental amount of planning.**

 **When it's ambiguous about what people know (e.g. if anyone can identify Raven by her mask) I plan on having it be whatever I consider most entertaining for you, the readers.**

 **I now have over 500 reviews. That feels amazing. When I started writing this I honestly didn't expect this level of attention. (Though I did expect quite a bit due purely to the premise) Thank you to everyone who has supported me in getting this far. In terms of milestones, I'm most looking forward to hitting 1000 followers.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 10: Mountain Glenn**

' _Another meaningless title.'_ Ren opens the next page in his notes, preparing for anything they don't yet know.

 **The opening ends to the view of General Ironwood looking out from the landing docks of Beacon Academy to the city of Vale at night, a few airships hovering over the lit-up buildings. Walking up from behind him is Goodwitch.**

"New information!" Weiss almost yells, she turned to Ren with a fierce look in her eyes. "Are you ready to take notes?"

"I am." Ren nods, showing her the pen he has prepared.

" **Trouble sleeping?" Goodwitch asks.**

 **Ironwood looks back, gripping his shoulder with the other hand. "Arm was acting up."**

"Huh." Sun tilts his head at this. _'Did something happen to Ironwoods arm at some point?'_

" **Of course, so logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." Goodwitch remarks sarcastically.**

"That's actually a sort of trope." Jaune mentions. "A person stares of into the distance while trying to figure something out. Often something about their personal weaknesses."

' _Jaune certainly knows a lot about these things.'_ Blake thinks. _'We're actually rather lucky to have someone like that with us now.'_

 **As Goodwitch approaches Ironwoods side, she then looks at him with concern. "What's wrong?"**

" **I've trusted him for years." Ironwood refers to Ozpin. "We both have. I just... I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark."**

"Imagine how that makes us feel!" Nora remarks.

"This is interesting though." Weiss says. "Ozpin seems to hold many secrets. Even from the people he works with."

"I-I'm sure there's a good reason." Ruby says. "We don't know everything yet, so there might be some important fact that explains everything."

" **Don't be ridiculous!" Goodwitch says. "You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark."**

"Or that." Yang tilts her head to the screen. "I guess that means even Ozpin isn't all knowing."

"Well duh." Sun remarks. "Otherwise he would have caught Cinder already."

 **Ironwood laughs humorously. "That makes it worse! I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so... passively."**

"But perhaps that's what is needed." Pyrrha says. Everyone turns to look at her, with Blake narrowing her eyes. "Don't get me wrong! We need to protect everyone! I just think we should be certain that our actions don't end up doing the opposite."

Blake winces slightly at this. _'That's the mistake I made.'_

 **Goodwitch puts a reassuring hand on Ironwoods shoulder. "You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it."**

"She certainly has a point there." Sun says. "I could certainly never ask for trust from someone who I couldn't in turn."

 **Goodwitch drops her hand as they stare into the distance together. "Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering."**

"Experience?" Ruby questions. "Has something like this happened in recent years?"

"Not to my knowledge." Weiss answers, putting on a thinking face. "Though I can think of one possible explanation."

"And that is?" Yang asks.

"Well it's less of an explanation, and more of a correlation." Weiss explains. "Ozpin was famously young when he became headmaster of Beacon, but despite this there was very little pushback against it. It's possible something was covered up, something that happened to be a similar issue to the one we are facing now, but Ozpin prevented it."

"That would explain a few things." Ren agrees, eyes currently looking through the previous notes he's written. "It's possible that Cinder is a member of whatever group caused such an incident. She may even be out for revenge."

"About time we made some progress!" Nora yells. "And I was starting to think it would take forever to find out anything."

' _This is still just a theory though.'_ Weiss thinks. _'We can't be sure of anything we haven't actually seen.'_

 **The scene changes to the ruined buildings of Mountain Glenn, a lone Beowolf is searching through the rubble.**

' _I suppose we can't expect any more.'_ Ren thinks. _'Even that short scene gave us a wealth of information.'_

 **The Grimm looks up briefly at the young girl who has it in her red crosshair scope, but Ruby Rose just lowers Crescent Rose and sighs in tiredness at she keeps lookout over the destruction. The rest of her team is lying down on their sleeping mats around the fire with weapons nearby, and Doctor Oobleck is higher up, slumped down against the wall next to a hole between floors.**

' _Please tell me we aren't about to see what I think we are.'_ Yang thinks.

 **The three members of team RWBY all appear to be resting, but Yang opens her eyes. "Blake, are you awake?"**

' _Damn it!'_ Yang mentally cries.

" **Yeah." Blake answers quietly.**

"What's this about?" Ruby asks curiously.

"W-we just… talked a bit." Yang stutters.

"No use in hiding it." Weiss sighs.

" **Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress?" Yang asks. "Like, what was he trying to say?"**

' _He wanted you to ask yourselves that question.'_ Sun thinks.

" **Maybe he was just curious." Blake replies.**

" **You think?" Yang says with scepticism.**

 **Blake pauses at this, then answers bluntly. "No."**

' _Well duh.'_ Nora almost saying this out loud, but notices now isn't the time.

 **Yang groans at the lack of any good answer. "Weiss, are you awake?"**

" **Of course I'm awake! You two are talking." Weiss snaps, causing Yang to wince.**

"You didn't have to be so rude." Yang complains.

"You were interrupting my sleep." Weiss says, glaring at Yang. "I was already having trouble sleeping, then you had to make it worse."

" **And I think he... When I said I wanted to honour my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think." Weiss says. "I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area."**

"Err… what does that mean." Ruby asks.

Weiss sighs. "My father has taken many steps to increase his wealth. Many of them have had a… negative effect on other people."

"Many people have suffered." Blake explains bluntly. "I know quite a few of those people personally."

" **That's putting it lightly." Blake remarks.**

" **Which is why I feel the need to make things right." Weiss continues, sitting up. "If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."**

Ruby puts her hand on Weiss's shoulder comfortingly. As Weiss turns to look at her, Ruby smiles in encouragement. "I'm sure you can do it."

Weiss nods softly, returning the smile. She then turns back to the screen, filled with a newfound determination she hasn't felt since she decided to leave Atlas.

" **All my life, I fought for what I thought was right." Blake now tells her story. "I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place." She looks up to the ceiling, where a shadow silhouette of Adams emblem appears.**

Jaune asks. "Is that…"

"That's Adam's emblem." Blake interrupts, though without raising her voice. She brings up her legs and hugs them with her arms. "It wasn't actually there of course. But I remember imagining it at the time."

"These videos are reading our thoughts!" Sun yells, but then catches himself. "No. Wait. It already did that in some of the earlier ones."

" **But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone." Blake continues. "I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I… how can I undo so many years of hate?"**

No one has any real response to this. Many of them want to say something comforting, but they worry it would just come off as hollow words.

" **I'm sure you'd figure it out." Yang assures. "You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."**

" **But I am! I do it all the time!" Blake argues. "When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran!"**

' _Not anymore.'_ Blake thinks. _'If I'm going to change anything, then I need to stop running. From now on I'll face all my problems head on, and ensure that my friends don't stray from the wrong path.'_

" **Even my Semblance!" Blake continues. "I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!"**

"That may not be entirely true." Ren says. "There is a strong argument that there is no connection between your personality and Semblance."

"But an even stronger argument that it does." Blake mumbles quietly.

 **The trio now all lay in silence.**

" **At least you two have something that drives you." Yang finally speaks up. "I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for?"**

"Yang?" Ruby looks to her sister with concern.

"I'm fine." Yang forces a smile and gives a thumbs up. "You don't need to worry."

"Okay." Ruby decides to trust her sister.

" **I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure." Yang continues. "I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that."**

"At least you want to help people." Blake says. "Even if it's not for the best of reasons, you still want to do the right thing."

Yang nods her head at this.

" **I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress." Yang looks over to her sister, sitting over at the side of the building, watching for a Grimm attack. "It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."**

' _Wow.'_ Ruby takes some time to fully grasp what she's just heard. _'It sounds like Yang actually looks up to me.'_

" **Well, she's still just a kid." Weiss says.**

"Hey!" Ruby complains.

" **She's only two years younger." Blake points out. "We're all kids."**

"Thank you Blake." Ruby says. "It's good to have someone on my side."

Weiss frowns slightly at this. "I didn't mean it like that!"

" **Well, not anymore." Yang says. "I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!"**

" **It's the life we chose." Blake says.**

" **It's a job." Weiss stresses. "We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second."**

' _That's what it means to be a Huntress.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'It's the reason we all came to Beacon.'_

 **The camera moves to show the apparently-sleeping Oobleck, who grows a small smile as he overhears the girls talk.**

"What!" Yang almost jumps up in alarm. "He was listening to us!"

"It would seem so." Weiss says. "But this could be a good thing. His smile indicates we made the right choice."

"That's comforting." Blake mumbles. _'Though it still doesn't give me any ideas on what to do from here on.'_

 **Later, Yang has taken up watch, allowing for Ruby and Zwei to sleep on the sleeping bag Yang had been lying on. Zwei suddenly wakes and stands up, causing Ruby to wake up.**

" **Huh?" Ruby groans from tiredness. "Zwei, it's late. Go back to bed."**

"I'm guessing this is when you left us." Yang says.

"Yep!" Ruby confirms.

 **Zwei runs off out of the building. "Zwei! Zwei!" Ruby looks around, noticing that no one is currently watching her. "Ugh!" She takes her weapon and wanders out of the building, looking for Zwei.**

"Why did he leave?" Jaune asks. "Did he catch a scent from the White Fang."

"No." Ruby answers. "It was more of a… err. A matter of nature."

" **Zwei! Zwei, where are you? Zwei! Huh?" Ruby peeks outside, and spots Zwei urinating on some nearby ruins. "Zwei, this is a wasteland! You literally could have done that anywhere!"**

' _I'm slightly grateful that he didn't do it too close though.'_ Blake thinks. _'I'm sure it would be quite distracting for me during my shift.'_

 **As Ruby picks up Zwei to bring him back, the dog barks loudly, catching the attention of some people nearby.**

" **What was that?" And unfamiliar voice asks from the distance.**

 **Hearing this, Ruby quickly hides behind some ruins.**

"And once again, we find our enemies thanks to pure luck." Weiss says. "If not for this, I doubt we would have found them any time soon."

"This is also why me and Neptune decided it was best to go into the city without you." Sun says. "Look how that turned out though."

" **What was what?" Another voice asks, as Ruby peers over to see that it's two White Fang guards, wandering the streets.**

" **I thought I heard a Beowolf or something." The first White Fang member says.**

"How dare they!" Nora yells. "Comparing cute little Zwei to a big mean monster."

"You've never even seen him before." Yang points out.

"Irrelevant!" Nora yells back.

" **Hmph." The other member groans. "Let's just finish our patrol and get back to base. This place gives me the creeps."**

"I suppose people like that have to especially watch out for Grimm." Pyrrha says. "It's astonishing that they can even survive out in a place lake that for very long."

 **As the guards walk away, Ruby and Zwei sneak around in the background, following them. Ruby sneaks between buildings quickly, taking cover to stay hidden. Zwei on the other hand, walks around without a care.**

"Stealthiest. Dog. Ever." Nora declares.

"He was actually very quiet." Ruby says. "Zwei knows when to not make any sound."

 **They eventually reach a ruined building with a pair of metal doors, and Ruby hides behind a corner, holding Zwei out to watch them.**

"Err… what?" Jaune questions this bizarre action.

" **Did they go in yet?" Ruby asks. "One bark means yes."**

"That… works I guess." Sun says.

"Does it?" Weiss questions, turning to look at Ruby. "Wouldn't be the same if you simply looked yourself."

"Well you see I…" Ruby hangs on her answer for a while, clearly trying to come up with an explanation. "Camouflage! Zwei has much better camouflage than me."

"I suppose I can't deny that." Weiss admits. "Red isn't the most common colour to find in deserted ruins."

' _And if it is, that's a REALLY bad sign.'_ Blake thinks.

 **The sound of the door closing echoes out.**

" **Bark!" Zwei gives the signal.**

"Aww… such a good boy." Nora coos.

' _I must hold in the desire to agree.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I refuse to embarrass myself like that during what could be an important viewing.'_

" **Oh! This is it! This is it!" Ruby cheers quietly as she brings out her scroll and tries to call her teammates. However, the screen says Low Signal. "Aw man! Come on, we gotta get the others!"**

"At least you know not to recklessly charge in on your own." Weiss says.

"Of course." Ruby acts shocked at the near accusation. "We're a team. And I know not to go fighting off by myself…"

"Remember the Death Stalker." Yang interrupts.

"…any more." Ruby finishes.

 **Ruby and Zwei hurry off down the street. However, the asphalt beneath them suddenly sinks before caving in. Before she can fall, Ruby grabs onto a ledge and catches Zwei. She tosses him up out of the hole and attempts to pull herself up.**

Most of the group winces at this. "I assume you were fine." Pyrrha says.

"Yep." Ruby nods. "It wasn't too steep of a fall."

 **Unfortunately, the ledge Ruby is holding onto breaks off, and she plummets down into an unknown cavern.**

Yang grips her fists as she stares at the screen. _'Calm down. You already know what happens.'_

 **Fortunately, Ruby is not falling long, as she lands relatively safely onto a building within a huge cave filled with many other such buildings.**

"Cool." Jaune looks at the underground city in awe. "You never told us you saw anything like this."

"We were too caught up on the mission to take pictures." Blake says.

 **As Ruby gets up, a nearby door bursts open to reveal two White Fang guards.**

" **Freeze!" One of the guards demands.**

"Seriously?" Yang gives Ruby a confused look. "You were beaten by just a couple of henchmen?"

"It wasn't a fair fight!" Ruby complains, crossing her arms.

" **Where did she come from?" The other guard wonders.**

 **As the guards walk forward, Ruby backs away only to end up on the very edge of the platform.**

" **You're a long way from home, little girl." A guard walks towards her menacingly.**

"How do they not realise that they're the bad guys?" Sun asks. "I mean. Just look at the situation."

"I don't know." Blake answers. "I think they're just too focused on their mission."

"That or they don't care." Weiss grumbles.

 **Ruby reaches back for her scythe, only to realize that she doesn't have it. Both guards approach her, and one of them grabs her arm.**

' _Of course.'_ Yang thinks. _'Ruby's a terrible fighter if she doesn't have Crescent Rose. I blame it on her unwillingness to part with it.'_

" **Hey! Hands off!" Ruby jerks her arm out of the guard's hand and starts punching him, to very little effect, and so he punches her in the face hard enough to knock her down.**

"Ruby, would you like some help learning hand to hand combat?" Pyrrha offers.

"Why would I ever fight without Crescent Rose?" Ruby retorts.

"You saw what just happened." Pyrrha nods to the screen. "You won't always have that option."

Ruby gives a frustrated look, until Weiss speaks up. "You should really learn to fight without your weapon. We were really worried for you when we found your weapon."

Ruby groans. "Fine."

" **The boss is gonna want to see this one..." one of the guards says, as he kicks her in the head hard enough to knock her out.**

"I really hope that guy got what he deserved." Yang says, bitterness emanating from her words.

"Most of them died." Blake reminds her partner, causing her to tense up.

' _I… I didn't mean it like that.'_ Yang thinks. _'Sure, they may be criminals. But they don't deserve to die.'_

Blake notices Yang's startled reaction, and feels oddly comforted by it. _'This means you're a good person.'_

 **Back with the rest of team RWBY, Yang has just finished her shift so she goes back to the sleeping mats, stretching away her stiffness.**

"I should have noticed earlier." Yang berates herself. "We would have still been able to find their hideout."

Ruby grips her sisters arm, and then embraces it in an almost hug. "It's fine. I didn't notice the three of you talking earlier anyway."

" **Hey Weiss, it's your..." Yang then notices the unsettling lack of her sister. "Ruby? Hey, where's Ruby?"**

"Yeah Weiss, where's your Ruby?" Nora jokes.

Weiss scoffs at this, not even giving Nora the satisfaction of a response.

" **What?" Oobleck peers around a corner, having noticed Yang's worry.**

 **Zwei comes running into the room, barking.**

' _Not only is he adorable, but he's also the smartest dog ever.'_ Weiss thinks, letting loose a small grin.

" **Zwei?" Yang crouches down to gage what the corgi wants.**

" **What's going on?" Blake asks, having been woken from her sleep.**

" **Grab your weapons!" Oobleck demands. "Your leader may be in trouble."**

"I was fine." Ruby plays it off. "I'm sure I could have escaped eventually."

' _And she sorta did.'_ Blake mentally admits. _'By the time we got there, she had already gotten away from them.'_

 **Ruby awakes to the two guards who caught her dragging her by both arms through the underground city. All around her, White Fang members are at work, doing various things such as piloting a Paladin to carry large shipping containers.**

' _What exactly were they up to?'_ Ren wonders. _'That area's now overflowing with Grimm, so we can't perform a proper investigation. Did they have any other plans?'_

 **There is a loud sound nearby as one of the White Fang members drops a large device.**

" **Hey, be careful! What are you trying to do, blow us to the moon?" One White Fang member yells.**

" **Sorry sir!" The other person apologises meekly.**

Sun speaks up. "I'm guessing that thing is…?"

"The bombs used to cause The Breach." Blake explains. "I'm fairly certain they were planning on using more, but we were able to stop that."

' _That means there is likely still lots of Dust under Mountain Glenn.'_ Ren notes this down. _'If possible, it would be quite useful to get that back.'_

" **Hey boss!" One of the guards dragging Ruby, who happens to be wearing glasses over his mask, yells out. "Found something you might want to see!"**

" **Is it good or bad, Perry?" Torchwick answers from inside of a railcar. "Because let me tell ya, I have had a day."**

"I wonder what was pissing him of?" Yang says. "Was there a failed Dust robbery around that time?"

"I don't believe so." Weiss answers. "I'm sure he's just been having difficulties coordinating the White Fang."

" **Uh, it's a little girl?" Perry replies, unsure of what it means.**

 **Torchwick leans out through the doorway and sees Ruby. "That would be bad."**

"Hell yeah it's bad for you!" Nora yells.

' _After this he enjoyed beating me up for several minutes.'_ Ruby recalls. _'Not that it hurt that much, but I hope Yang doesn't see too much of it.'_

 **Zwei leads Oobleck and Ruby's teammates to the hole that Ruby fell into, and Yang spots Crescent Rose next to the hole.**

" **Ruby's scythe!" Yang points to the weapon.**

"And that is why I was worried." Yang declares.

" **Oh no." Blake worries, knowing she would never part with it on purpose.**

"When was the last time you were purposely a great distance from your weapon?" Jaune asks Ruby. "Not counting when you could call it by scroll."

Ruby thinks on this for a moment. "Probably before I made it. If that counts."

"It doesn't." Weiss states. "Though a good Huntress should always have their weapon available to them."

" **Do you think she fell?" Weiss asks.**

" **Fell?" Oobleck zooms next to the heiress.**

" **Down there." Weiss looks down into the hole in the ground.**

"Well duh. Where else?" Nora says. "Upwards?"

 **Oobleck at the hole. "Oh my. Of course! Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!"**

" **What is it?!" Blake asks.**

Yang sighs. "Prepare for an extra lesson in history everyone."

"In the middle of a mission?" Sun questions.

"He talks very fast." Yang points out.

" **How could I be so stupid?!" Oobleck berates himself.**

" **Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?" Yang asks.**

" **Mountain Glenn!" Oobleck zooms up to the blond. "Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!"**

"Twenty seconds." Blake looks up from her scroll, which she had been using to time it. "He was able to summarise all that in twenty seconds."

' _That's not long at all considering how much information we got.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **Doc, what are you saying?" Yang asks.**

" **My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!" Oobleck answers.**

"Wouldn't that make it an UNDERGROUND underground crime network." Nora points out.

"I guess." Ruby agrees.

" **They've been working in caves?" Blake wonders.**

" **No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion." Oobleck explains. "It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defence, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!"**

"Isn't this the lecture he gave immediately after The Breach?" Jaune asks.

"It was." Weiss confirms. "He thought it would be best to keep everyone up to date with relevant information."

" **An underground village?" Yang asks.**

" **In a matter of speaking, yes." Oobleck replies. "A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there…" Oobleck deploys his weapon. "…we must find her..."**

"I still can't understand how they were able to get rid of all the Grimm that used to occupy that part of the underground." Blake says. "The main reason no one ever checks that area is because it's assumed that the underground is completely overrun."

"Perhaps they left." Sun proposes, though even he knows this explanation seems weak.

 **The screen goes black.**

"End of the video." Weiss declares. "Are we going to watch the next one?"

 **Congratulations on reaching this point**

 **Another bonus video has been added to 'World of Remnant'**

"We should probably watch this new video before taking a break." Ren says. "Also, there are a few songs we haven't fully heard yet. So it may be a good idea to listen to them together."

Pyrrha and Nora tense up at this.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Ironwood and Goodwitch looking out at Vale

Ironwoods arm 'acting up'

Ironwood possibly trying to figure something out

Ozpin keeping Ironwood in the dark about something? (Ironwood feels that way)

Ozpin has a great tendency to keep secrets

Some critical piece of information that Ozpin doesn't have (Truth about Cinder?)

Ironwood thinks Ozpin is too passive

Ironwood done many things to do what's best, even against strong protest

Goodwitch wants Ironwood to trust more

Ozpin has experience the rest lack

Theory: Ozpin stopped a bad event involving malicious organisation, was made headmaster due to this, event covered up, same organisation is the one Cinder now seems to be running.

Back to Mountain Glenn

Personal talk

Possibility of Adam returning? (since brought up, likely to make a return)

Did Ozpin see something in Ruby's strong motivation and pure intentions?

Ruby follows Zwei outside

Ruby notices WF members

Ruby falls into hole, without weapon

Ruby captured by WF

Rest of team notice Ruby gone

Possibly still lots of Dust in underground

Ruby brought to Torchwick

Rest of team understands situation

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Before any of you ask, yes I have now seen V6C1. It's great, I have high hopes for this volume.**

 **There have been complains about my planned hiatus. All I can say to that is sorry, and I will still be working on my fic during that time.**

 **I now have a cover for my story, many thanks to "Miraculous Pink Ninja" for making it for me. I never expected this to become popular enough to have a dedicated cover.**

 **As you have probably noticed, the next Chapter will be WoR: Grimm and reactions to a few songs that I overlooked on making a full reaction to.**

 **Reminder that I am now running a most useful review competition where the winner gets a shout out in the chapter. I will probably only consider someone eligible if I'm able to PM them though, because feedback without a good avenue for conversation isn't as useful.**

 **Big question for this chapter is: what specific reactions are you hoping to see in the V2C11 chapter? I will take into account any that seem entertaining and realistic enough.**


	29. V2: WoR3: Grimm

**By now many of you have probably noticed that the pre chapter notes are in response to reviews, so from no on it will be labelled as such.**

 **Review Notes:**

 **It is my understanding that the Grimm dragon is hidden inside one of the mountains to the East of Vale. Mountain Glenn is to South-East so there should be no problems with them encountering the dragon while trying to regain the Dust. (Much of this is probably just up to interpretation)**

 **I have to be careful when writing about animals with aura, as it is likely that the show will eventually contradict anything I think of. That doesn't mean I can't write anything though.**

 **RWBY isn't the most consistent show when it comes to measuring a persons durability. I have to assume that some things just happen in order for the story to go in the right direction. (There doesn't seem to be anything deal breaking though.)**

 **I agree that RWBY's lack of hand to hand abilities doesn't make much sense, but we just have to suspend our disbelief a bit.**

 **Many fics, reaction fics especially, act as a criticism of the original work. Having the characters call each other stupid for the mistakes they make. I sorta hate those stories, so instead I do what I can to justify the actions the characters make.**

 **Remember, I am doing everything in release order. You can find a proper list on my profile. This also means no chibi reactions. (If I ever cover them, it will be in a different fic)**

 **I'm pretty much always watching RWBY, so I have a rough interpretation of the characters. If that doesn't match yours, or you think I've been skipping corners, tell me. This is actually part of the reason I haven't watched chibi. I feel like it would skew my interpretations into something non canon.**

 **Covering Grimm Eclipse during the hiatus seem like a great idea. However them may end up not just watching it.**

 **I will not be adding team CFVY. In fact, after V6C1 I think I probably won't add anyone other than Oscar, unless future developments add a new important character. (Ilia's left, so I'm not sure if I can justify adding her.)**

 **During the times where they are waiting for new videos the group will probably be training, studying or just hanging out. The location is meant to be comfortable enough for them to roughly go about their daily lives as usual. As for ship confirmations: there have been no new ones. I can only do Ren/Nora because it's practically undisputed, and Jaune/Pyrrha because it's impossible to prove anything against it at this point. The rest of the ships will probably only be confirmed during the final Volume.**

 **One reader (who is probably no longer reading this) mentioned that they don't find it interesting since they are only reacting to the past. I decided against picking the characters up from earlier because I wanted them to already be in friends with each other, who have spent plenty of time bonding. I know everyone is mainly looking forward to the future.**

 **I update when a chapter is ready. Though that may tend to be Weekends since that is when I feel most motivated to do all of my writing.**

 **Unfortunately I have not included all the missing songs. I think it's best to just do the ones that I still have something interesting to write about. For example, _Gold_ doesn't seem to have much other than showing the relation between Ruby and Yang, which I have already covered. There is also no reason to include acoustic versions.**

 **I will never include a _Bmblb_ reaction, since the song is not originally intended for the show. Also, I think it would ruin the potential for the ship to form more naturally.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: GeonteneArgon00. Thanks for the idea but I'm not sure if will fit with my current plans. If I can make it work then I will.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: World of Remnant 3: Grimm**

"Ooooh" Ruby says. "This could be useful."

"I doubt it." Weiss sighs.

"Err… why?" Yang asks.

"Because so far all the 'World of Remnant' Videos have been completely useless." Weiss replies. "At best it would be something we don't know, but could easily look up."

"That's true." Ren agrees. "However, I believe the things it shows are also possible foreshadowing. For instance, how we learnt about Dust clothing before seeing Cinder using it."

"Fine." Weiss reluctantly admits. _'That doesn't make it any less annoying though.'_

" **The Creatures of Grimm." Grimm eyes appear on the screen, with Beowolf growls echoing in the background.**

"Some day we're going to find out who this person is." Blake states. "And how they relate to the things we're watching."

"That seems unlikely." Pyrrha says. "I remember it being implied that she lived thousands of years ago, or something like that."

' _Then how did she have that conversation with Ozpin?'_ Ren wonders.

" **A ravenous, destructive force that covers the majority of Remnant." An image of the world appears, with the hand of a Grimm engulfing it in its grasp.**

' _The enemy of all humanity.'_ Ruby thinks. _'The only type of being that lacks a soul.'_

" **While often referred to simply as 'Grimm' in the common vernacular, these beings serve as the greatest foe to mankind." The silhouette of what could be the moon is immersed by more hands of Grimm, turning the screen black.**

' _What could that mean?'_ Yang watches the images. _'I guess it could just be for effect.'_

" **For as long as humanity can recall walking the surface of Remnant, so do they remember this wicked force." A man wielding a spear stands in a forest, with a large Grimm appearing in front of him to strike him down with its claws.**

"And apparently that's because they existed before humanity." Weiss says. "That is, if the woman's first speech can be believed."

' _How would she know that though.'_ Ren thinks. _'Is it possible that she was there at the time? No, that's impossible. She logically must have lived at the same time as Ozpin.'_

" **Many ancient cultures believed the creatures of Grimm to be animals possessed by evil spirits, or perhaps the spirits of tortured animals themselves." A hoard of Beowolves appears, with their images turning dark, and gaining the iconic red lines.**

"I hope that's not the case." Ruby mumbles.

"It's not." Blake asserts. "There is far too much evidence that contradicts this theory."

" **However, further study - as well as the discovery of newer, more horrific forms of Grimm - has not supported this hypothesis." The Beowolves grow scales on their backs. "With new creatures discovered every day, scientists perpetually find themselves with more questions than answers."**

"Told you." Blake says. "One of the most notable cases is Creeps. They don't seem to resemble any single animal."

' _It also seems they don't plan on answering any of the questions.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Of course, I didn't expect anything from this video anyway.'_

" **While very little is known of their origin, some key facts have been observed in the wild." A large Nevermore swoops down to attack a lone human.**

" **First and foremost, the Grimm exclusively attack humans and their creations. While occasional skirmishes between wildlife and Grimm have occurred, these instances appear to be based on territorial provocations, rather than a need for sustenance." The Nevermore from before devours the newly created corpse, and when a regular wolf appears, its simply shrieks at it to go away.**

"But why though?" Sun wonders. "Why do they attack us in the first place?"

"That is quite possibly one of the oldest questions ever asked." Yang states.

" **In fact, the common belief is that the Grimm are not obligated to feed; they choose to." The Nevermore turns to face the screen, menacingly.**

"I actually heard an interesting theory about that." Weiss says.

"Which is?" Jaune prompts.

"The reason they feed on remains is because it makes them more horrifying." Weiss replies. "This in turn, makes attacking humans easier since Grimm attacks are more likely to cause fear and lure more."

"That's… slightly terrifying." Jaune replies meekly.

"And unfortunately, it seems to have worked." Weiss sighs.

" **What is perhaps even more unsettling is the basis of their attraction. The Creatures of Grimm are lured towards negative emotion." Two men appear, with them both fighting each other. One of the men gains the upper hand by smashing the others head in with a rock.**

"You could almost consider that a smart hunting strategy." Blake points out. "It means that they tend towards attacking any place were two sides are injured."

' _That's not a good thing.'_ Ruby thinks.

" **In the rare instances when villages are capable of defending against a wave of Grimm, their survival is not guaranteed, as widespread panic will only lead to more attacks." A band of humans, coloured in white, appear surrounded by Grimm. But the colours of the humans turns dark, and larger, more dangerous Grimm now appear with the intent to kill.**

Ren grips his notebook tightly, before calming himself down.

" **Little else is known about the Creatures of Grimm. Keeping them in captivity has proved to be an understandably difficult task, as the creatures tend to either die, or kill those who imprisoned them in the first place." A Beowolf is shown in a cage. It struggles against its constraints, eventually breaking free.**

"Wait. Then how did Professor Port get a Boarbatusk into the classroom?" Jaune asks.

"It's one of the more impressive things he's done." Yang says. "Unfortunately, captured Grimm seem to be only good for training."

Noticing the confused look of Jaune, Pyrrha clarifies. "It's impossible to study Grimm without them dying, or getting too close and being killed."

" **To further complicate study, the corpse of a Grimm will only remain for a short period of time, before completely evaporating." The Grimm now appears dead, with whisks of it's body dissolving into the air.**

"And to scientists, that's the most infuriating aspect of them." Weiss says.

" **Those who hunt the beasts for sport find this particularly upsetting, but manage to get by with cheap taxidermic recreations and bombastic storytelling." A silhouette that seems to resemble a teacher the audience knows, appears next to the evaporating Grimm. This is followed by a showing of a fake Grimm recreation and the teacher spouting of random nonsense.**

"Is that professor Port!" Nora points to the screen. "Wow. Wasn't expecting to see him."

"It's probably just an example." Jaune explains. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty more people who do that."

' _You have no idea.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **Although the Creatures of Grimm appear mindless, more delicate observation has proven contradictory." Two Grimm attack a man with a sword. The first survives to watch the next match from the side-lines. The second dies instantly as it is cut in half.**

' _Just because they can gain intelligence, doesn't mean they're anything like us though.'_ Blake thinks.

" **It has been noted that while younger Grimm tend to be more reckless; older Grimm, who have managed to survive their battles, have the tendency to learn from their experience and will exercise caution in the future." The surviving Grimm walks away, growing larger and likely stronger as it approaches a similar swordsman and shield bearer.**

"And this is why killing smaller Grimm is so important." Sun says. "I remember there being a saying that one in ten Beowolves eventually becomes an Alpha. Though that's just a guess."

" **This perverse form of self-preservation allows the creatures to become more effective killers." The Grimm strikes down both soldiers with a single swing of its claws.**

"It's hideous." Blake comments. "Using the idea of progress simply as a means for degression."

"Yeah." Ruby agrees. _'I'm just going to pretend I know what that means.'_

" **And in the end... killing is all that matters." The red canvas becomes soaked by darkness as wind howls and the screen turns to black.**

"That's… rather a bleak view." Yang says, a cold shiver having gone down her spine at final words.

"This mystery Woman does seem to have some distorted views." Ren agrees, noting it down.

"So what did you think?" Ruby asks her partner.

"It was about what I expected." Weiss replies. "That is to say, completely useless."

"It gave us a good opportunity to take a break." Jaune says. "Speaking of…" He turns to Ren. "Didn't you say something about listening to the songs?"

"Yes." Ren nods his head. "I think it would be beneficial to listen to them completely, given the amount of foreshadowing that they seem to have."

' _Please no.'_ Nora and Pyrrha think simultaneously, though neither of them is able to think of a good argument.

As agreed, they start they bring up the menu for the songs, and decide to start playing them in the order they appear, skipping any that they've already seen.

' ** _This Will Be the Day'_**

" ** _They see you as small and helpless; They see you as just a child."_**

"We've already heard this part plenty of times." Jaune comments. "Hopefully there's more that we haven't seen."

* * *

" ** _A story will be told. And victory is in a simple soul."_**

"This is where it ends in the opening." Weiss says. "Now let's hope this isn't a waste of time."

" ** _Your world needs a great defender. Your world's in the way of harm."_**

"More foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen." Yang says. "Though it does seem weird that it specifies the entire world."

"That could just be for effect." Jaune explains. "Songs like this tend to exaggerate."

' _I hope you're right.'_ Ren thinks.

" ** _You want a romantic life; a fairy-tale that's full of charm."_**

"Hey sis, it's talking about you." Yang grins as she nudges Ruby.

Ruby gives a nervous laugh, then admits. "Probably."

" ** _Beware that the light is fading; Beware if the dark returns."_**

"Returns?" Sun notices this small detail. "What does that mean."

"It likely refers to the Grimm." Blake says. "They are considered creatures of darkness after all."

" ** _This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn."_**

"More dark foreshadowing?" Sun says. "Y'know. The song seems really upbeat, but it's sorta terrifying under closer inspection."

" ** _Legends scatter. Day and night will sever. Hope and peace are lost forever."_**

"I certainly can't disagree with you." Weiss says to Sun.

" ** _This will be the day we've waited for. This will be the day we open up the door."_**

"Good to know that there's still some positivity." Yang says.

"Probably." Ren agrees. "Though we don't know what exactly this 'door' is supposed to symbolise."

"Possibly nothing." Jaune says. "It's hard to tell though."

" ** _I don't wanna hear your absolution; Hope you're ready for a revolution."_**

"Err…." Ruby makes her lack of understanding clear.

"It likely means that they don't want a person's forgiveness, and will instead forge their own path." Weiss explains.

"Thanks Weiss." Ruby says.

" ** _Welcome to a world of new solutions. Welcome to a world of bloody evolution."_**

"Interesting." Ren says. "Do you think that it means finding the answer through trial and effort?"

"If so, then that means we can skip the bloody part." Blake says. "We will be getting the answers strait up."

" ** _In time, your heart will open minds, a story will be told, and victory is in a simple soul."_**

' _It seems that Ruby is an important factor in this song.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That is. If Ozpins words about an honest soul can be taken literally.'_

With the first song done, they move onto the next one.

' ** _Time to say goodbye'_**

" ** _There's a day when we'll fight, and we're not gonna fall."_**

" ** _There's a day when we'll stand, and a day when we won't crawl."_**

" ** _Anymore."_**

"This seems to be much brighter than the last song." Sun says.

' _Unless you take into account the connotations of the word 'anymore''_ Weiss thinks.

" ** _There's a moment in time, and there's no going back."_**

" ** _When we're pushed too hard, and we won't hold our attack."_**

" ** _Anymore!"_**

"Does anyone else find that this has a similar message to what Blake said when convincing everyone else to stop the White Fang?" Jaune says.

" ** _We can't just cling to childish things, as evil just grows closer."_**

" ** _Humanity's in jeopardy, this fight is far from over"_**

"You're right." Yang says to Jaune. "I can't recall what was said exactly, but the idea seems to be roughly the same."

Blake feels slightly uncomfortable and unsure how to feel about this. _'I guess I should be… proud of myself?'_

* * *

" ** _With a doubt in our minds."_**

" ** _Why we chose this life."_**

" ** _And at times we can't help wondering..."_**

"Doubt?" Ruby is surprised by this. "Does anyone here have doubts?"

"It probably means the previous video." Yang says. "Remember the talk me, Blake and Weiss had?"

"Oh. Sorry." Ruby apologises.

" ** _Were we born to fight and die?"_**

" ** _Sacrificed for one huge lie?"_**

' _It seems Ozpin is hold holding back more information than I expected.'_ Ren thinks. _'And this talk of sacrifice. I'm guessing other people have lost their lives in whatever conflict this is a part of.'_

" ** _Are we heroes keeping peace?"_**

" ** _Or are we weapons?"_**

" ** _Pointed at the enemy, so someone else can claim a victory?"_**

Weiss grimaces. "Why can't we just be told what this all about!"

"We'll get the answers in time." Ruby assures her.

" ** _Now it's time to say goodbye."_**

" ** _To the things we loved, and the innocence of youth."_**

' _I'm guessing this is just the chorus.'_ Ren thinks.

" ** _How the time seemed to fly."_**

" ** _From our carefree lives, and the solitude and peace we always knew."_**

"That was fun." Pyrrha says. "But it didn't seem very useful. So we should probably just stop here."

"We can't be sure that there isn't anything in the other songs." Weiss points out. "Besides, it doesn't take very long."

Pyrrha gives a silent groan at this.

' ** _Die'_ Plays**

* * *

"That song seemed to be about loss and things becoming generally terrible." Jaune says.

"Not much to say about it though." Blake says. "Or at least, nothing that hasn't been said before."

' _I'm not too sure about that.'_ Ren thinks. _'The line about "Shattering the moon and bloodying the sky." Seemed to have some meaning.'_

' ** _Dream Come True'_**

' _I am not looking forward to this.'_ Pyrrha thinks, as Nora gives her a concerned look.

" ** _I've been watching you lately, chasing your tail and it drives me crazy."_**

" ** _You'll never get that girl."_**

"So it's a love song?" Sun guesses. "Who's it about?"

' _Oh no.'_ Jaune thinks, realising the embarrassed look on Pyrrha's face.

" ** _She don't see in you the things that I can see, the girl's ice cold-it ain't meant to be."_**

" ** _Look in every land and port in the world."_**

' _That obviously refers to me.'_ Weiss is calm enough to not take it the wrong way. _'So that means this is about Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune. That would explain why she didn't want us to hear the songs.'_

" ** _I've been spendin' time wonderin' why, nothin' that I do can catch your eye."_**

" ** _Just can't capture your attention."_**

' _I was such an idiot.'_ Jaune realises for the nth time. _'I was so oblivious I never noticed what was right in front of me.'_

" ** _Maybe I'm too tall or not your type, but I'm not giving up, I'll get it right."_**

" ** _Being close to you is my intention."_**

"Did you really think that was why?" Jaune softly asks his partner.

Pyrrha snaps out of her embarrassment long enough to give a light nod.

" ** _I see more in you, than the rest of them do, and I'm not gonna let you fall."_**

" ** _I'll swallow my pride, time after time, cuz you're worth it all."_**

At this point Jaune decides to grab Pyrrha's hand and take it into his own. As Pyrrha looks at him, with her face still red from embarrassment, he gives a comforting smile.

" ** _Whenever I think of you, and how I wish you only knew, you might be my dream come true."_**

" ** _But what do I have to do to make you notice me?"_**

Jaune's smile fills Pyrrha with a sense of relief, and as she decides to grip his hand in return, she lies her head against his shoulder. Both of them are completely oblivious to the looks everyone else is giving them.

" ** _You and I we would be alright, we could dance on the roof, we could light the night."_**

" ** _Gotta make you see me in that way."_**

 _'It's probably best if we don't interfere.'_ Nora thinks, with everyone else having thoughts following along the same lines. _'Unfortunately there's no way it will end as well for me and Ren. We haven't even addressed our relationship yet.'_

" ** _Why don't you, forget about the little chick in white?"_**

" ** _She don't care about you and she's so uptight." (Weiss: Hey!)_**

" ** _Let me put a smile on your face."_**

"Hahaha." Ruby gives a goodhearted giggle at this.

"Hey!" Weiss berates Ruby, until shrinking in embarrassment of how se sounded exactly like in the song.

"HAHAHA!" Ruby collapses into the sofa as she give a full blown laugh at Weiss's expense. Many of the others also give a good chuckle at this.

" ** _How I wish that you knew that I'm crazy for you. When I'm with you, time just flies."_**

" ** _I'll get you alone, make you my own, it will be divine."_**

The group continues listening to the song. However they find nothing noteworthy to talk about, so they just let it continue without a word.

" ** _Notice me."_**

As the song ends, the group just looks around each other uncomfortably.

Unsurprisingly, Sun is the first one to break the silence. "So you two are together now. Huh?"

Jaune gives a small chuckle at this. "Well, yeah."

"Congrats dude." Sun applauds him. "I was wondering how long it would take."

"If you ask me, it took far too long." Weiss comments.

"We should probably just be happy for them." Blake says.

"You all knew!" Pyrrha almost yells this.

"Well yeah." Yang replies bluntly, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "It was pretty obvious."

Pyrrha gives a half sigh half groan. "Let's just move on with it." _'I'd rather we not talk about mine and Jaunes relationship anymore.'_

' **Shine'**

" ** _Baby, it's time to make up your mind, I think that tonight is when our stars align._**

" ** _Honey, it's time to leave the doubt behind, take my hand 'cause you and I are gonna shine."_**

"Erm…" Ruby catches everyone's attention. "Isn't this the song that played during the… y'know… dance with err…" She gestures towards Jaune and Pyrrha.

Pyrrha sighs. 'It seem we're all going to have to listen to this too.'

" ** _I was cold in the dark, it was empty in my life."_**

" ** _From the outside it looked so bright, but nothing felt right... to me."_**

' _I knew Pyrrha had it rough making friends before she came to Beacon.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But this sounds so much worse than I expected. I hope it's just an exaggeration.'_

Meanwhile, Pyrrha is shifting around on her seat uncomfortably.

" ** _Like a sky with no sun, like a night that has no day."_**

" ** _My heart was eclipsed by the dark, then something changed."_**

" ** _I saw a little ray of light come through, the tiniest of sparks came into view."_**

" ** _And then, you made me hope again."_**

' _This is so beautiful.'_ Ruby thinks. _'It's like a tale strait from a storybook, but it's real.'_

The song continues, but all it does is repeat the same things in different ways.

Once the song ends, they decide to move onto the next one. Nora however, doesn't seem too thrilled about the idea.

' ** _Boop'_**

 **Just before the song starts, the screen distorts for a moment, almost as if it's broken. But this soon fixes itself and the music begins.**

"What was that?" Weiss questions, suddenly nervous that something is harming the entire viewing area that they are in.

"It seems… fine." Jaune says, unsure of whether this is really the case.

 **The music continues without any unusual events.**

"I don't believe we have to worry." Ren says. "Whatever happened, only lasted a moment."

Unlike the others, Nora is the one to notice what is happening. _'Why haven't the lyrics started yet. The words were supposed to start right away.'_ Although she at first seemed worried, she quickly considers this a blessing. _'This means we won't have to hear my song. Whoever did this, thank you so, SO much.'_

 **The music continues.**

"Somethings wrong." Ren says. "It's been a full minute and we still don't have any words."

"Is that what the distortion did?" Weiss says. "It stopped us from hearing the words?"

"It would seem so." Pyrrha replies, having also realised the reason. "We should probably just ignore this song and check the next one. We need to know if this effects everything."

"Agreed." Ren says, using the remote to exit the song and select the next one.

' _Thank you.'_ Nora gives Pyrrha a smile. This is quickly returned in kind.

' ** _All our Days'_**

" ** _Long ago, before we met, I dreamed about you."_**

"It seems to be working." Ren deduces. "It may just be that one song that's broken."

" ** _The peace you'd bring. The songs we'd sing."_**

" ** _The way you'd make things new."_**

"Another love song?" Blake supposes.

"Possibly." Weiss says. "Though I honestly hope not. We've had enough of that so far."

" ** _Then one day, you arrived. I heard your angel cry."_**

" ** _Helpless, small, and perfect. Welcome to your life."_**

"Ohh." Sun figures out the meaning.

"What is it?" Jaune asks.

"You could say it's a love song." Sun reveals. "But not exactly. It's about the love a parent has for their child."

Many of them nod in understanding. Though some of them feel bad about themselves upon hearing this.

" ** _And on that day, I made a vow. Whispered and true."_**

" ** _No matter what, no matter how, I made this promise to you."_**

"Who do you think it's about?" Ruby says. "It would have to be about the parent to one of us right?"

"Well, then it's not me or Ren, because that's sorta… impossible." Nora says.

"How?" Yang asks.

"We're orphans." Ren states bluntly, the tone of his voice making it clear he doesn't want to talk any further on the subject.

" ** _I will cling, I will clutch, I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away."_**

" ** _I won't leave, I won't go, I will stay with you all our days."_**

"We all know it's not me." Yang says. "After what happened earlier, I'm sure everyone here knows about what happened with my mother."

"That's not necessarily true." Jaune points out. "From what I can tell, the singer is always the same. So you can't consider their gender to matter on what the songs meaning is."

"Then it could be dad!" Ruby declares. "That could make sense for either of us."

"Possibly." Yang agrees. _'Though dad wasn't always there for us after Summer died, I can still see it being him.'_

' _I guess that means they're lucky enough to have at least one good parent always there for them.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I almost feel envious.'_

" ** _Years of joy have passed since then. With time I've seen you grow."_**

" ** _Watched you play, new each day. I begged the time to slow."_**

"It's got nothing to do with me." Weiss declares. "And don't ask me how I know that."

' _That's… concerning.'_ Ruby thinks. _'At least she had Winter though. Having a good sister really helps.'_

' _This cannot be about my father.'_ Weiss thinks. _'And if my mother felt this way about me, then she wouldn't have turned out the way she did.'_

" ** _And though I miss the little girl, you've made me awful proud."_**

" ** _Funny how our lives change, 'cause you're my hero now."_**

"It's not me." Blake mumbles quietly. _'After everything I did, there's no way my parents feel this way. I called them cowards. I trampled on their beliefs. There's no way I deserve their love anymore. I can't go back to Menagerie until I've become someone they can be proud of.'_

 ** _"But things in life will rearrange."_**

 ** _"Friends come and go."_**

 ** _"Don't ever doubt, don't ever fear."_**

 ** _"I'm always here and you know."_**

' _I wonder if mom would have felt this way if she was still with us.'_ Ruby turns her head so the others won't see her expression. _'Of course she would. She was the best mom ever.'_ She dips her gaze and mumbles so no one else can hear. "I miss her."

" ** _I will cling, I will clutch, I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away."_**

" ** _I won't leave, I won't go, I will stay with you all our days."_**

" ** _I will stay with you all our days."_**

"Th-That was…" Jaune stutters for the right words. "That was really touching."

"We need more songs like this." Yang agrees. _'Something about it feels familiar. In fact, we may be wrong about what it means. The feelings it's shown are very similar to the ones I have for Ruby.'_ She glances over to her sister. _'I guess it never specified about the perspective being from a parent. And the part about being my hero now... That definitely fits._

The group decides to end the viewing there. With plans to resume tomorrow.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

About Grimm

Grim have something to do with current state of the moon?

How does mystery Woman know so much about all these things?

What era is she from?

How can she know Ozpin if she's considered a legend?

Practically confirmed that Grimm are not animal spirits.

Seems to talk about what humanity knows, rather than informing us.

No new information on Grimm

Songs:

This will be the day – Warning about bad things, strong references to Ruby, (open up the door?), forge our own path.

Time to say goodbye – Push back personal happiness to protect humanity, has resemblance to Blakes speech, Ozpin already sacrificed people for his cause? Is Ozpin just using us?

Die – Loss and bad things generally, or possibly our attitude to the enemy.

Dream come true – Love song

Shine – Another love song

Boop – Something went wrong, no lyrics, must investigate later.

All our Days – A parents love for their child, gender of singer will not affect meaning, most likely refers to Yang and her father (or Ruby and father).

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sorry this chapter took so long. The truth is, I underestimated how much time it would take to do the songs. You may notice me having cut some corners, that is because It's really hard to write about the songs, and I eventually came to hate it. _All our days_ however, was lots of fun to write for, as I felt it could bring up good inner-thoughts.**

 **Some people have asked me about Raven being revealed as a bandit early since some of the people from Mistral might recognise her. While I agree that it seems possible, it is also very possible that they wouldn't recognise her in any way. So I will not be doing a premature reveal, as I think it would likely ruin the viewing. _Power to Strive_ by ii-Phoenix-ii did a premature reveal and I'm no longer able to enjoy it as much because of that.**

 **I'm about to overtake 'Generation STRQ watches the Future' in terms of followers. This can't be considered a measurement of quality though, my advantage is the amount of content I've released, but the other fic has had more time to gain followers. I'm not sure if there are any more popular RWBY reaction fics out there (not counting the reactions to alternate timelines)**

 **For those wondering about my opinion of V6C2. I really enjoyed it, but it also broke my trust with Ozpin. It's still possible for him to regain my trust, but I better have a damn good explanation as to why he's so adamant about keeping secrets.**

 **As I was watching V6C2, I noticed how long V6C3 is. I then decided to compare this to all the RWBY episodes so far, and it turns out that V6C3 is the third longest episode so far. Beaten only by the Volume 3 and 4 finales. That is insane, I am so looking forward to it.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	30. V2: C11: No Brakes

**Review Notes:**

 **I know a lot of you wanted to see them reacting to _Boop_ , but please understand that it wouldn't fit the story I am hoping to write. Something like that must be left for the most opportune time, and this was not it.**

 **Sun may have left the show for now, but his importance cannot be ignored. Also, I have more information on how to write him. Ilia on the other hand, was relevant for far less time. I haven't completely given up on the idea of her joining, but any plans will be put on hold for now.**

 **When the group comes up with theories, I'm rarely writing what I actually thought at that point in time. Instead I think about what makes more sense from their perspective, while changing it slightly to ensure that later scenes will still have the dramatic impact that everyone's hoping for. (This is why it's to figure something out early, without there being a major missing piece in the puzzle)**

 **Don't worry too much about the hiatus, it's more a hiatus on the main series. In the between time I will be covering both the WoR videos, an intermission, Grimm Eclipse (possibly), and possibly some oneshot's that I don't want to make a full story of.**

 **If you want to ask me specific things about how V6 affects the future of this fic, please make an account and PM me. That way I'll be able to give you an answer more quickly, and include information that I don't want the general audience to know yet.**

 **I already know about animals having aura. The problem that arises is that I can't expand upon the world by explaining how this has affected society. Otherwise I would write about how many rich people have aura trained guard dogs to protect them.**

 **Neo won't be joining them, simply because it wouldn't fit the type of story I'm trying to write.**

 **Many people have pointed out how _All our Days_ can be interpreted as Yang's feelings towards Ruby. I never considered this angle before, but I feel incredibly stupid for not noticing it. Thankfully the true meaning doesn't matter in this story, only how it is interpreted. I will however be adding a small detail to last chapter to include it in some way. (If I haven't already by the time this is uploaded)**

 **WoR videos should be getting progressively more informative to the group. All of the V5 ones will explain the exact steps they must take to ensure victory. :)**

 **As I have been informed, V6C3 is in fact the longest episode of RWBY. The V3 and V4 finales don't count because of how long their credit scenes are.**

 **If/when I bring in Oscar, it will be his pre Ozpin self, the version that exists at the same point from when the others were taken from.**

 **I can probably include _Not Fall in Love with You_ , since it makes a small appearance in V3 and doesn't really reveal anything they don't all know. (If they haven't noticed how Sun likes Blake, they are idiots)**

 **They have technically already heard _I May Fall,_ but I plan on doing a proper reaction after the part where it is best known for.**

 **Please do not promote any non-legal methods of viewing the latest RWBY episodes. It is one of the few instances where I will be willing to use my right to report abuse or delete reviews.**

 **There may be a case of impersonation going on with anonymous reviewers. It's not that hard to make an account, so if you think it's a problem for you, then just put in the small amount of effort.**

 **I have already had enough of a reaction to _Red Like Roses part 2,_ but if I feel bored over the hiatus then I may add that as another chapter, or increase the size of the previous reaction.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: I can't decide, instead I'll go with everyone who told me the meaning of _All Our Days_**

* * *

Night-time has passed since the last viewing, and the group is all sitting together to eat breakfast.

"Sun, could you please stop using your tail like that." Weiss demands, between sips of her morning coffee.

"I will when you stop using your hands like that." Sun puts down his own cup with his tail, and points it at the way Weiss is holding hers.

"I didn't mean to offend." Weiss assures. "It's just slightly distracting."

"Lighten up Ice Queen." Yang says, receiving a scowl from the heiress in turn. "We're all friends here."

"Speaking of." Nora jumps in on the conversation. "How come Volume 2 has more videos than Volume 1?"

"Err…" Ruby speaks up. "That doesn't have anything to do with…"

"In her mind it does." Ren assures. "And trust me, don't ask how."

"Is anyone going to answer the question!" Nora yells, now turning her glare to Jaune. "Don't you know everything about this kind of thing?

"Erm… Well… I… Err…" Jaune pauses to think for a moment. "I honestly have no idea. Why don't you go bother our host about it?"

"If only it were that easy." Weiss mumbles.

"That does bring up an important point though." Blake says. "What do they want?"

"Wasn't it written in the note?" Pyrrha says. "They want us to prevent some kind of Catastrophe."

"But if they're powerful enough to create this place, then why do they care?" Blake asks.

"Because… they want to do the right thing." Ruby says.

"Then why do it through us?" Blake points out. "And why not give us all the information properly rather than having us watch all these videos, some of which are completely irrelevant to whatever Cinder's planning."

"Unfortunately, we have no way of finding out." Weiss uses cloth to wipe her hands, then gets up to head to the viewing room. "Unless you plan on destroying the screen to see if they will intervene somehow."

With that, Weiss closes the door, leaving them finish their meals.

* * *

Later in the viewing room

"Are we all ready?" Pyrrha asks, now that everyone is in their seats.

Everyone gives their confirmation one way or another, and so they begin.

 **Volume 2: Chapter 11: No Brakes**

"No surprises as to what that means." Yang comments, receiving nods from her teammates.

"I'm guessing it covers the time you all board the train then." Jaune says.

"Likely." Blake agrees. "Though we don't know how much after that it will include."

"Did anything particularly important happen aboard the train?" Ren asks.

"Nothing too noteworthy." Weiss answers.

' _That may be true.'_ Yang thinks. _'Unless what I saw on the train was real. There had to be at least some reason why Neo let me go.'_ She tenses up in excitement after realising she may finally get some answers. _'I'll finally be able to find out if that was really my mother.'_ Her attention is now firmly locked onto the screen.

 **The opening ends to Ruby being thrown across the floor by Torchwick.**

Yang's fixed attention suddenly turns into a scowl. "Damn, Torchwick!"

 **Torchwick laughs manically as he walks over to his newest punching bag. "Wow! You are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours." He stops to lean on his cane and look at Ruby condescendingly.**

"He called my precious creation a gardening tool!" Ruby complains, an angry, yet somehow cute, expression plastered on her face. _'Come to think of it, I'm actually lucky that it starts at this point. After most of the beatings he gave me.'_

Yang is in full support of Ruby's anger. "I swear, if he hits you one more time then I'll-"

"You'll what?" Weiss interrupts. "Will you break into who knows where he's hiding just to beat him up?"

Yang grumbles. "I should have given him a beating before he was arrested."

 **Ruby gets up and charges at Torchwick with a yell, but he simply sidesteps, sending Ruby stumbling across the floor.**

"Does that count as him getting a hit?" Sun asks. "Because technically you were the one to fall over."

Ruby scrunches up her face in an attempt to intimidate Sun into backing down. But Sun smiles at this and looks back to the screen with a smug look.

 **Torchwick laughs from sheer amusement. "Oh man. You know, Perry, I really did need this."**

 **Perry raises his thumb in agreement as Torchwick continues laughing.**

"Is Perry a high rank within the White Fang?" Pyrrha wonders.

Blake shrugs in response. "I wouldn't know. He probably joined after I left."

" **But seriously." Torchwick walks over to Ruby and aims Melodic Cudgel at her. "How'd you find this place, Red?"**

 **Ruby growls and uses her Semblance to disappear into the distance.**

" **Whoa!" Torchwick looks around, briefly startled.**

"Yeah! Take that!" Jaune cheers.

Weiss tilts her head, then turns to her partner. "Why didn't you escape sooner?"

"They were holding onto me!" Ruby complains. "And then he insulted Crescent Rose, and I can't let that go."

"I mean why didn't this attempt succeed." Weiss clarifies.

Ruby's expression suddenly turns embarrassed. "I will admit that I was bested in that one occasion."

 **Torchwick then notices Ruby running away in the distance and he smiles. He stands up, spins his weapon so the handle is aimed at Ruby. He fires the handle, which doubles as a grappling hook, catching Ruby by the hood and allowing him to pull her back.**

' _If I was just a bit faster, I would have probably gotten out of his range.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I need to practice with my semblance more. And that's on top of the hand to hand lessons Pyrrha is giving me.'_

" **I see you've got some tricks up your sleeve! Let me make this clear." Torchwick uses the grappling hook to drag Ruby across the ground. "We're not through here yet."**

 **Suddenly, A massive explosion sounds, causing Torchwick to look up.**

"What was that?" Sun asks.

"Take a guess." Blake indicates to her partner, who has an eerily large grin on her face.

" **Oh, what the..." Torchwick turns to his men. "Perry, if you and the boys could take care of that? Kinda in the middle of something."**

"I think he doesn't know any of their names, except for Perry." Weiss points out.

"Does he really value Faunus so little." Blake scowls.

"I doubt it has anything to do with race." Sun says. "My guess is that he's just a jerk that doesn't value any of the people he works with."

' _Except for Neo.'_ Weiss thinks. _'And of course Cinder, since he's actually working under her.'_

 **Perry nods and goes off to investigate the explosion just as another one sounds, shacking the ground slightly and sending dust falling from the ceiling.**

"Bet I could make one louder than that." Nora boasts.

"Not without your semblance you couldn't." Yang counters.

Nora scrunches her brows at this. "That's not a fair rule."

" **WHAT is going on here?!" Torchwick yells in the direction of the noise, now extremely annoyed.**

"Your worst nightmare." Nora puts on a maniacal grin.

"You weren't even there." Ruby says, purposely quiet enough that Nora can't hear.

 **A third explosion sounds, this time with the blast being seen, and multiple White Fang members come running around the corner, some firing at an unknown enemy.**

"Wow, it almost looks like they're fighting off a Grimm invasion." Jaune observes.

"With the way Yang was acting, that's a very accurate analogy." Weiss says.

"Hey!" Yang yells in defiance.

 **Torchwick narrows his eyes at this, and Rub gets up from the ground to look on in hope.**

' _Words cannot express how relieved I was then.'_ Ruby thinks. _'For a short while before that, I was really worried I wouldn't be able to escape.'_

 **Coming around the corner, chasing the White Fang members, emerges Weiss, Blake, Yang, Zwei and Oobleck, much to Torchwick 's annoyance.**

 **Noticing that her captors are distracted, Ruby decides to take this moment to escape. She jumps on Torchwick's shoulders, pulls his hat down over his eyes, and uses him as a springboard to start her dash to reunite with her friends.**

"Nice one sis!" Yang cheers. "That'll show him for messing with you."

"I agree." Blake nods. "But what was the logical reason for doing it?"

"Torchwick was the one with the grappling cane." Ruby explains. "By messing with his hat, I ensured I would have enough time to get far enough away." _'I also felt like stamping on his pride a bit.'_

 **Torchwick readjusts his hat and glares after Ruby. "Somebody kill her!" He and the White Fang members around him open fire on Ruby.**

 **Ruby dodges left and right to avoid being hit by the gunfire, causing Torchwick to grip his Cane in frustration and do his best to snap it in half. He turns angrily to the White Fang member next to him. "Attach this cart and spread the word, we're starting the train."**

" **But we're not finished!" The White Fang Member complains.**

"I wonder how much this actually affected his plans?" Pyrrha says.

"Enough for him to get caught." Weiss answers. "And it wasn't just that. I expect he was planning on going through with it when the amount of hunters in Vale was far less."

"And that's why our mission was a success!" Ruby declares. _'Though I still feel guilty about the people we weren't able to protect.'_

 **Torchwick pins the White Fang member up against the wall with his cane, the sights aimed strait at the man's head. "Do it or you're finished!"**

"That's no way to treat the people working under you." Weiss mutters.

Blake notices this, and has some… complicated feelings on the matter. _'I don't know whether to be happy that the Schnee heiress thinks this way, or disgusted by how Torchwick's attitude seems so familiar to what other Faunus have told me about.'_

 **The shot cuts to Ruby fleeing, but she screeches to a halt as she realizes she's running towards a group of White Fang members.**

"Seriously!" Nora expresses. "It's just four guys."

Ruby chuckles nervously. "I don't do very well in fights without Crescent Rose."

"But you should have at least been able to pass them without getting hit." Pyrrha states.

"It's actually more complicated than that." Yang butts in. "She doesn't have the confidence to even face most enemies without her weapon."

"I've gotten better!" Ruby complains.

 **As the White Fang Members are about to take fire, A huge familiar sound of a shotgun shell is heard, followed by an explosion sending the White Fang members flying and revelling Yang behind them.**

" **Ruby!" Yang yells in joy, as her sister jumps into her arms and is embraced in a hug.**

' _I can't imagine me and Winter ever doing something like this._ ' Weiss thinks. _'But that's probably just because of our personalities. I'm sure we're just as close as they are.'_

" **Are you okay?" Weiss asks in concern.**

" **I'm fine, I'm fine!" Ruby hurriedly answers as she is freed from her sisters grasp. "But listen! Torchwick's got all kinds of weapons and robots down there."**

" **What?!" Blake asks for an explanation as she hands Ruby her weapon.**

"Yes." Ruby gives a cheer under her breath, _'Finally reunited with my sweetheart.'_

" **Androids, mechs, they're all loaded up on the train cars!" Ruby elaborates as she adjusts her weapon for later use.**

"Androids?" Blake questions. "I don't recall fighting any of them."

"They weren't activated." Weiss explains. "I believe they were meant to be used to cause even more of a panic, but it wouldn't have mattered since they are coded to prioritize killing Grimm."

" **Ahh, that's ridiculous." Oobleck denies the possibility. "These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead-end."**

"He's right." Blake admits. "The problem is he doesn't have the imagination to consider that part of the plan."

"Would anyone be able to guess?" Jaune says. "Even now I have a hard time believing such a crazy plan."

 **A high pitched ringing starts, as Torchwick uses the speaker system. "Get to your places, we are leaving now!"**

 **At the criminals command, the train starts moving towards the tunnels.**

" **Well, it sounds like they're going somewhere." Yang points out.**

" **We need backup." Ruby determines. "Let me call Jaune."**

"So that's when you called." Jaune nods his head slowly.

"Yep." Ruby replies. "Not that it did us any good."

"Hold on, you actually received the call?" Yang asks Jaune.

"Only enough to know that Ruby was trying to call me." Jaune replies.

"That's honestly quite impressive." Weiss says. "Considering how we were underground, you were luck to get even that much. I suppose it goes to show how powerful the CCT is."

 **Ruby's holds up her scroll, showing that it is calling Jaune. Unfortunately the attempt is futile as the Scroll reads 'LOW SIGNAL'.**

" **I can't get through!" Ruby yells in annoyance.**

' _I should have realised something was happening.'_ Jaune thinks. _'The responsible thing to do would be to contact Glynda about it.'_

" **So, what do we do?" Weiss asks the group.**

" **I believe we only have one option..." Doctor Oobleck tells them.**

 **Ruby turns around to face the enemy, finishing Oobleck's sentence. "We're stopping that train!"**

"Why do you always end up getting to say the coolest parts?" Nora asks. "Do you practice or something?"

Ruby giggles. "Just wait a bit and you'll see something very similar to this happen again."

 **The scene cuts to the train rushing through a tunnel, loaded roughly a dozen Atlesian Paladins. A White Fang member standing on the back train cart hears a noise and decides to look around to behind the train. The man sees a trail of rose petals, along with a red cape disappearing into the cart.**

"You have any trouble catching up with the train?" Sun asks.

"Not really." Blake answers. "It hadn't gotten to full speed by this point, and thanks to Weiss's Glyphs, we could easily outpace it."

 **In response to this, the White Fang member brings up his communication devise. "I think they're on the-" The White Fang member is interrupted when Oobleck's weapon suddenly knocks him out, with the owner appearing in his place with a pleased smile.**

"Damn it. If we'd been jus that little bit faster…" Yang says.

"You really think we would have made it far without them finding out?" Weiss asks, with a hint of sarcasm.

"It would have helped." Yang points out. "We may have been able to get to the front of the train and slow it down."

"While the idea of that does seem nice, remember that we were being chased by Grimm." Blake reminds them. "If we had stopped, I doubt we would have stood a chance at surviving."

This dark revelation hangs harshly over team RWBY. Now understanding that from the moment they got on the train, the breach was inevitable.

 **The shot cuts to Torchwick in the front of the train as a White Fang member rushes in.**

" **Boss! They made it on the train!" The White Fang member informs his current leader.**

 **Torchwick groans at this. "Then grab some cargo and get them off the train!"**

"I suppose that's on way we helped." Weiss says. "If we hadn't been there, they would have used the Paladins to complete their goal."

"And we still don't know what that was." Ren says. "Hopefully something will be revealed soon."

 **The White Fang member nods as he leaves to follow Torchwick's orders.**

" **Man... Animals, every one of them." Torchwick complains once the door has been sealed shut.**

"Why do they even follow him!" Sun complains. "I know I would never work for someone who constantly insults me. Especially if I was in that situation!"

' _I really hope I'm not right about this.'_ Blake recalls her former partner. _'But still. It's hard to believe he wouldn't want to be involved.'_

 **The camera pans over to reveal another White fang member working alongside Torchwick. Suddenly worried, Torchwick looks awkwardly at the White Fang member sitting next to him. "Not you though, you're, heh, you're great."**

"If I were that guy, I'd be questioning my life choices at that point." Sun says.

"I would hope that you would do so if you were any of the White Fang members." Weiss says.

"Fair enough." Sun agrees.

 **The scene cuts to Team RWBY and Oobleck, now standing on top of the back train cart.**

" **Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!" Doctor Oobleck declares over the sound of the wind rushing past them.**

"How fast was the train going?" Jaune asks.

"I dunno." Yang replies. "Pretty fast I guess."

"It was likely going at full speed." Pyrrha guesses. "Given how they were planning on hitting a wall, I doubt they were holding back."

"Also, the title is 'No Brakes.'" Nora reminds them.

" **Err... Professor?" Weiss tries to get the Huntsman's attention, as she looks into the hatch on the cart.**

" **Doctor..." Oobleck is quick to correct the heiress.**

' _I always thought he would even correct people what they are in the middle of a mission.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I guess now I have proof.'_

" **What's that?" Weiss points into the hatch, towards a strange metal object with Dust canisters on its side and multicoloured wires connecting different parts of it.**

"You mean the great miss Schnee doesn't know something." Nora gasps. "I always knew this day would come!"

"Shush!" Weiss demands.

" **That my dear..." Oobleck kneels down to take a closer look. "…appears to be a bomb."**

 **Each member of team RWBY cringes away from the hatch out of fear of what may happen.**

"That's at least some of the Dust from the robberies accounted for." Blake says. "There may be more though. I'm not an expert on explosives."

"Perhaps all the other crates near the bomb are filled with Dust." Ren proposes. "It would cause a chain reaction, explaining how a small devise is able to cause so much damage."

"That may be true." Blake agrees. "Though I repeat, I'm not an expert on explosives, so we can't be sure."

 **A Ruby moves back, she notices something in the distance. Pointing towards the front of the train, she tells the others. "We've got baddies!"**

 **Dozens of White Fang members can be seen climbing onto the top of the train from a few of the front carts that seem to be filled to the brink with them.**

"I almost feel bad for them." Yang says. "I heard that they were the first ones to get attacked by the Grimm."

"That explains how so few were captured." Ruby says.

" **Well, I didn't expect them to go-" Oobleck's words are interrupted as a charging sound can be heard from the hatch he's crouching near.**

 **The team looks down to see that the bomb is now beeping and the screen is flashing red.**

" **-easy on us." Oobleck finishes his sentence, standing up to prepare his escape. "Time to go!"**

"I would have started running the moment I learnt about the bombs existence." Sun says.

"We probably should have done that too." Blake agrees. "But it was a very overwhelming situation."

 **As Team RWBY start running away, Oobleck stops Blake to give her instructions. "Blake! Detach the caboose! It will kill us all!"**

" **On it." Blake agrees.**

 **The cat Faunus jumps down onto the connectors and gets ready to cut the connection, but as she's about to do so, the connection comes loose on its own.**

"I'm guessing that was part of Torchwick's plan?" Jaune asks.

"It was." Ruby confirms. "I'm sure you'll fully understand in a bit."

" **Huh?" Blake responds in surprise. She then looks up to inform Oobleck. "It decoupled itself!"**

" **What?!" Oobleck peers over the edge of the cart to look at Blake.**

" **I guess he really doesn't want us on this train." Yang says, peering over alongside Oobleck.**

"As if that would work." Weiss says. "If they really wanted to stop us, they would have disconnected one of the carts far further up."

"Hey! It was a fair guess." Yang complains.

 **As Oobleck looks back at the detached cart, it explodes in the tunnel, causing collateral damage all over the railway tunnel.**

" **That's not good..." Oobleck shakes his head in worry.**

' _So they were purposely caused an explosion behind them.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But then how does that lead to the Grimm getting in the tunnels.'_

" **Err, neither is this!" Ruby yells to the others as she and Weiss hold up the hatch on the cart they are now standing on.**

" **Another bomb?!" Blake guesses, having climbed back up to the top of the cart.**

' _Correction, they caused a trail of explosions behind them.'_ Jaune amends. _'Why didn't I pay attention earlier. I'm sure I would have figured it out if I did.'_

 **Oobleck looks around in realisation. "No. No. No." He runs to the next train cart, opens the hatch and looks in, to find yet another bomb. "They ALL have bombs!" He yells to team RWBY.**

"Not all of them." Weiss informs those who weren't present. "The front few carts were filled with other things. Though I expect there was less things in them than was planned, since they said they weren't finished at the time."

 **The bomb under Team RWBY charges up and starts beeping, and the cart they're on detaches itself. This forces Team RWBY to make the jump between carts as they are separating.**

" **This doesn't make sense!" Yang complains, as she and the others watch the cart leaving them.**

' _It really doesn't.'_ Ren thinks. _'Even with what we know now. It's hard to believe there was anything they had to gain. Instead they just ended up making things worse for everyone.'_

 **The team now turns around to see that the members of the White Fang are almost upon them. "Get the humans!" One of them yells.**

"Ohh, whew." Nora gives a joking sigh of relief. "For a moment I was worried that they would be attacking Zwei too."

"Wait for it." Ruby has a jolly grin on her face, anticipating the reaction so something.

 **Team RWBY steps forwards to take on battle stances. As the first enemy approaches them, Yang kicks him off his feet and pummels him into the cart's hatch. Giving him a wink as she does.**

' _It's great to see how other people view be while I'm fighting.'_ Yang thinks. _'I like seeing my efforts to have a sense of style pay off.'_

 **Blake dashes strait into the centre of White fang crowd, spinning her weapons around to knock them off their feet and push them off of the train.**

' _They were all fighting like grunts.'_ Blake recalls. _'I doubt they had kind of training before being sent to Mountain Glenn. It's disappointing to see how low the White Fang has fallen.'_

 **Weiss uses her glyphs to charge forwards, with a trail of ice trapping all the enemies she passes. Once she stops, she lunges her rapier at the attacking enemies before any of them have time to fire their shots at her.**

' _I appear to be holding excellent form.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Perhaps I should look back on some videos to see how I need to improve during a no rules situation.'_

 **With this Ruby uses her Speed to rush the remaining enemies. Swinging her weapon in a single arc to completely demolish them all, making them fall like bowling pins.**

' _I was so excited to have Crescent Rose back, I may have gone a bit overboard.'_ Ruby thinks.

 **Seeing that the girls have everything handled, Oobleck turns around to watches the detached train car explode.**

"That's a pretty big explosion." Pyrrha observes.

"I doubt anyone could survive getting too close to that." Sun agrees.

"I remember someone once saying the same thing about lightning bolts." Ren points out. "I can honestly say that's not true, there are some very unusual Semblances after all."

Nora supports a big grin after hearing this.

 **This time however, Oobleck notices creatures emerging from the holes in the tunnel walls.**

 **Creatures of Grimm. An advancing wave of Creeps, Beowolves, Ursa, Boarbatusks, small Death Stalkers, and even a massive King Taijitu.**

" **Oh, dear..." Oobleck remarks.**

"Now I get it." Jaune nods his head. "It's just like what happened before when Grimm first invaded the Mountain Glenn underground."

"It seems someone has been paying attention." Blake remarks.

"Though it does seem quite unfortunate." Ren notices. "It's rather unlikely that the tunnel would have so many Grimm filled caverns near it."

"Things like this always happen with Grimm." Weiss dismisses. "It's always said that when dealing with Grimm, assume the worst, most unlikely possibility."

 **The horde of Grimm march forwards at a running pace. Thankfully not fast enough to catch up with the train, but still enough to be a serious problem.**

" **He's leading Grimm to the city!" Oobleck yells to the others.**

" **What?" Weiss checks that she heard correctly.**

" **It's the cars!" Oobleck explains. "They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!"**

" **That's insane!" Blake responds.**

 **Another train car detaches itself, as if to prove a point.**

"This is Roman Torchwick we're talking about." Yang states. "Insanity should be assumed."

"But it wasn't Torchwick's plan." Ruby reminds her sister. "It was Cinder's."

"Well then that means Cinder's insane." Yang concludes.

"She probably is." Weiss agrees. "Though she's must be very good at hiding it since she's currently passing of as a student of Haven."

"From what I know about Haven students, she could probably let some of it loose without people noticing anything." Blake jokes.

"Hey!" Sun complains, then pauses for effect. "You're talking about Neptune right?"

After a small bout of chuckling, the group quiets down to watch the video.

" **We have to hurry!" Oobleck declares, he then turns to Weiss, Blake, and Yang. "You three, go below and try to stop those bombs!"**

"How did that go?" Ruby asks.

"We were able to stop some of the bombs." Weiss explains. "However they went off anyway once the train crashed."

"At least they didn't bring in more Grimm." Pyrrha says.

" **What about us?" Ruby asks.**

" **We're going to stop this train." Oobleck asserts, putting on a confident and picturesque pose.**

"Wow." Nora exclaims. "It seems someone was impressed by you earlier."

Ruby grins. "I guess."

"They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery." Blake points out.

" **Yeah, I know. I said that earlier." Ruby states, causing the teacher to frown uncomfortably.**

"And now it's ruined." Nora deadpans. "Did you really have to ruin the moment?"

"Yep." Ruby states, not wanting to elaborate.

 **The group moves forward towards the next hatch.**

 **As the train continues towards it destination, White Fang members start to pilot multiple Atlesian Paladins, and jump to the top of the train.**

"Those things would have caused so much damage." Yang thinks outload.

"It's a good thing the three of us stopped them." Ruby says.

"Three?" Nora questions. "I thought it was just you and Oobleck."

Ruby smiles and seems be almost jumping up and down on her seat. "I can't wait to see your reaction!"

 **Ruby, Zwei, and Oobleck are now running forwards alone. The others having presumably gone inside the carts.**

" **Up ahead!" Oobleck points towards the oncoming Paladins. "We got a problem!" He and Ruby stop to confront their metallically encased foe.**

"How did you even manage to beat them?" Pyrrha asks. "Last time you had to fight four on one, and then relied on Yang's semblance to finish them off."

"We had an advantage." Ruby admits. "The situation made it much easier to take them out, they weren't as skilled as Torchwick, and Doctor Oobleck is a much better fighter than you would expect."

 **Oobleck takes a few gulps from his thermos before transforming it into its weapon mode, a small flame burning at its tip. Zwei barks, prompting that he's ready for an attack.**

"Huh?" Nora tilts her head. "How was Zwei involved in…"

 **Zwei jumps and flips in the air, and Oobleck bats him, turning him into a small corgi sized fireball aimed directly at a Paladin.**

"OH MY GOD!" Nora yells. "That's amazing! It's a dog missile! I want one!"

Ruby laughs at this. "I knew you would enjoy it. In fact I was really looking forward to seeing your reaction."

"He-he's fine right?" Weiss asks, unable to hide her worry. "He didn't get hurt during the fighting, did he?"

"Nah, it's fine." Ruby assures. "Zwei has his Aura activated, so he's perfectly capable of holding his own in a fight."

"But how does Oobleck know that?" Yang questions. "Also, how did he know that Zwei can actually fight?"

"Huh." Ruby contemplates this. "That is weird. Is it possible he knows dad somehow?"

"He would have to." Yang agrees.

"Excuse me." Nora interrupts. "I'm sure you all have very important things do discuss. But may I ask again WHERE CAN I GET A DOG LIKE THAT!"

 **The Paladin is seen shooting, only for it to get knocked off the train by the sheer force of the man and dog combination attack. The Paladin tumbles on the train tracks, and explodes when it hits a barricade.**

"And that's why beating the Paladins was so easy." Ruby points out. "All we had to do was knock them off the train."

"I'm guessing they also had to be careful with firing heavy weaponry at the train." Pyrrha says. "It would be bad for them if they set off a bomb prematurely."

 **Another Paladin appears in front of Zwei, its guns aimed at him. Suddenly, multiple fire attacks hit it, and Oobleck swiftly knocks it off the train as well.**

"Cool!" Jaune exclaims. "Why can't he show us moves like that in the classroom?"

"Probably because he's a history teacher." Blake says.

 **Down below, Yang, Weiss, and Blake enter the train car.**

" **I guess this is what we trained for." Yang says.**

' _This is almost it!'_ Yang thinks. _'I'll finally have confirmation on what actually happened while I was knocked out. And if what I saw war real.'_ She turns to look at her friends. _'I hope they don't get angry at me for hiding this. But I'm not even sure what is that I'm hiding.'_

 **Weiss reaches into her pouch. "Here, this should help you." She gives Blake a magazine filled with differently coloured Dust vials.**

"Thank you, it did." Blake says. "I'm not sure I could have beaten Torchwick without it."

"Your welcome." Weiss replies. "If you ever need more, then it won't be any trouble."

' _I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of using Schnee Dust regularly.'_ Blake thinks. _'I've been trying to avoid supporting them in any way.'_

 **Blake slides the mag into Gambol Shroud, and then the three of them charge forward.**

 **Suddenly, a figure drops from the ceiling to blocks their path.**

"Hah." Sun gives a short laugh. "Three on one, this shouldn't be a problem."

"Actually…" Weiss is about to correct him, but decides to let the video do that.

 **The figure is revealed to be the short and slim Neo that they encountered during their investigation, with her umbrella weapon at the ready.**

" **You two go on ahead." Yang says to her teammates. "This one's mine."**

"But why?" Sun questions. "Wouldn't you have a better chance working together?"

"We would." Blake agrees. "But that may take too long, and this is a very time sensitive situation."

"Makes sense." Sun admits. "I guess you made the right choice."

"I disagree." Pyrrha speaks up.

"You think we should have fought together?" Weiss asks.

"No. You made the right choice there." Pyrrha assures them. "The mistake was having Yang be the one to fight her."

"What does that mean?!" Yang glares at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha sighs. "Your fighting style isn't suitable against someone like her."

"And you know this because…" Yang prompts.

"Her stance makes me think she's someone who specialises in avoiding blows and using her opponents physical strength against them." Pyrrha explains. "I'm sure you can understand how that's a bad matchup for you."

Yang goes silent at this. _'She's right. I couldn't land a single hit against her. Instead all I did was wear myself out.'_

 **As Blake and Weiss run past Neo, Yang unleashes a shot from Ember Celica, prompting Neo to flip backwards so as to avoid the blast, landing in a crouch.**

"Well then it's time for Yang to prove you wrong." Ruby cheers.

Yang's eyes dip. _'This is going to be so much harder than I expected.'_

 **Yang proceeds to walk up to Neo as she stands up, where the two stare at one another, Neo with a smile and Yang with a frown. Yang tightens her fist, and throws a simple forward punch towards Neo's face, which is deflected with a white flash of unknown origin from Neo, causing Yang to stumble back.**

 **Neo opens up her umbrella and places it over her shoulder, as if as a move to agitate her opponent.**

' _That little bitch.'_ Yang thinks. _'I'm looking forwards to seeing her get taken down.'_

 **Yang responds with anger, dashing forwards to unleashing a flurry of several punches, resetting each time instead of redirecting her blows, as Neo simply dodges each attack, moving her body swiftly in order to avoid them in a very laid back, but extremely effective style. With every unsuccessful punch, elbow, and kick, Yang continues moving forward as her last three blows bring her to a knee, where she attempts a roundhouse kick, allowing Neo to deliver a spinning hook kick, knocking Yang to the ground, the former's guard completely open on the left side.**

"It would seem that Pyrrha is right about her assessment of Neo." Weiss says.

"You learn to pick up on there things after all the tournaments I've been in." Pyrrha reveals.

 **While on the ground, Yang growls in anger, to which Neo responds by performing a drop kick. However, Yang dodges by rolling away, and subsequently springing up to attack once again.**

 **Neo counters through a pull in redirection of force technique, pulling Yang's arm in with her own left arm, and performing a well-executed ax kick to hit Yang on the chin, before kicking Yang in the stomach with a perfect side kick. Neo then begins pushing Yang back via her umbrella, now on the offensive, as Yang tries to counter her movements with Ember Celica. Neo is able to effortlessly push Yang back against a wall, until the latter shoots a blast directly towards the former's feet. Neo, however, simply backflips effortlessly, and she lands perfectly on a metal container, before sitting, waiting for Yang's next attack.**

"No offense Yang, but she does seem to have you completely outmatched." Sun says, careful as to not set her off.

Yang sighs. "You're right, I wasn't doing very well."

"I guess that's what happens when someones fighting style is well suited to beating yours." Blake comments.

"That may not even matter." Pyrrha says. "From what I can tell, she seems skilled enough to beat most, if not all of us, in one on one matches."

"That's… worrying." Ruby says. She then turns to her sister. "So how did you beat her?"

Yang grimaces slightly. "Just keep watching. It'll be better than any explanation I can give."

' _Is Yang hiding something?'_ Blake wonders. _'It might just be something too complicate to put into words. But… that expression…'_

 **In the next train car, Blake and Weiss are seen running, and then look at each other when they hear the sound of revving up ahead. A figure is seen dragging a chainsaw along the floor. The camera pans up, revealing the White Fang Lieutenant.**

"Isn't that the guy from the rally?" Jaune asks, turning to Blake. "Was he in the White Fang before you left?"

"Yes, and he was." Blake divulges. "He was a Lieutenant working for the Vale branch. I'm not sure how he ended up working for Torchwick, but I wasn't surprised to see him there."

"What do you mean?" Nora asks.

"He was always one of the more… violent members. Even considering how bad most of the others tuned out." Blake answers.

' _I can believe that.'_ Weiss thinks. _'If not for my Aura, I would have been chopped to pieces.'_

" **You go on ahead!" Weiss says.**

" **Got it!" Blake agrees.**

 **The Lieutenant chuckles menacingly as he holds up his chainsaw. As Weiss and Blake approach him, the Lieutenant swings the weapon over his head. Weiss backflips away from it, but Blake quickly deflects his attack anyway before swiftly departing. Weiss flips forward, slashing him with Myrtenaster, and the two fight, each parrying the other's attacks successfully before Weiss flips the Lieutenant over.**

"So Pyrrha…" Weiss looks to the champion. "What is your assessment of our choice to have me be the one fighting this battle?"

"It seems good." Pyrrha nods her had slightly. "Though to be honest, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference in this case."

"I can accept that." Weiss says. "The main reason I volunteered was because Blake was the one with a personal vendetta."

"That's not a very good reason." Blake says. _'Though I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate it.'_

 **Weiss smiles at Blake, who leaves the carriage as the Lieutenant stands back up, laughing menacingly and declaring, "Finally, I get to kill a Schnee." Weiss raises her weapon in defiance, spinning the dust chambers.**

"Does he have something against the Schnee's?" Sun asks.

"Probably. Most members of the White Fang have some reason to hate the company." Blake explains. "Though I don't know anything about his situation personally."

 **In the next train car, Blake stops and grits her teeth when she's greeted by a familiar foe.**

" **Hello, kitty cat. You miss me?" Torchwick swings his cane around his fingers. "You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk..."**

"Urgh!" Yang groans. "Can he be any more annoying?!"

"I really hated him for saying that." Blake agrees.

 **Blake charges forward to attack, starting their battle.**

 **Blake feints and uses her Semblance combined with Dust to create a fiery shadow of herself in her previous position. Torchwick, still in the motion of his attack, strikes the fiery shadow, causing it to explode in his face, propelling him into the air.**

"I'm guessing that's how your Semblance works with Dust." Sun says.

"It is." Blake confirms. "Keep watching and you'll see a few other ways I can use it."

' _This may mean I have to modify my plans for the Vytal festival tournament.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Thankfully Sun isn't the most… intelligent person to be watching this with, so it's doubtful that he will make a plan beforehand.'_

 **Blake jumps up and delivers some mid-air strikes to knock him down, then lands in a fighting stance.**

 **Torchwick gets back up to fire a blast from the Melodic Cudgel, and Blake uses Dust again to create a stone shadow of herself to take the blow. She leaps overhead and prepares to strike, only to feint again and create another shadow of herself with her Semblance.**

"What's the advantage of using a stone shadow over a regular one?" Jaune asks.

"Mostly throwing off the enemy." Blake admits. "Though it also makes it slightly easier to re-maneuverer myself."

 **Torchwick blocks a flurry of attacks from Blake and tries to strike her with an overhead blow, but she dodges back and creates a frozen shadow that traps his cane.**

"Now that seems useful." Sun states. "I'm surprised I haven't seen you do that before."

"It can be a waste of Dust during a training." Blake explains. "I doubt I can afford to practice with it on a daily routine."

"I can always help supply you." Weiss offers.

"I appreciate it." Blake replies. "But I would rather not."

 **As Torchwick tries to retrieve his weapon, Blake performs a vertical slash that sends a shockwave down the train car, destroying the ice sculpture and knocking Torchwick into the door where he drops his weapon.**

"Damn!" Nora exclaims. "That's gotta hurt."

"Given how it ended up being the last blow of the fight, I would have to agree." Blake grins.

' _So I guess that means Blake won her fight.'_ Yang thinks. _'Meanwhile I was busy being knocked out.'_

 **Before Torchwick can stand up, Blake steps on his chest and holds her blade to his face.**

"So what… did he just give up after that?" Ruby asks.

"In a way." Blake replies. "It took a bit of… convincing on my part, to make him stop resisting."

"I like the sound of that." Nora puts on a maniacal grin.

 **Torchwick chuckles nervously before his voice gets a dramatic change in tone. "Why are we fighting? I saw you at the rally, we're on the same side and you know it..."**

"Bullshit!" Sun yells, interrupting Yang before she can do the exact same thing. "The only reason we were at the rally was to get information on how to stop you!"

"You now he can't hear you right?" Ruby says to the now overly expressive Faunus.

"Yeah, well. I just need to let out my feelings." Sun explains. "And I've gotta admit, I feel much better now."

 **Meanwhile, one train cart over, the Lieutenant runs towards Weiss as she raises her weapon defensively before using Myrtenaster to draw a pale blue circle in the air, forming a force-field. Cyan shockwaves radiate from the centre of the force-field as the Lieutenant tries, in vain, to saw through it. Weiss then knocks him back with a slash from her weapon. The Lieutenant attempts another overhead swipe, but Weiss points her weapon downwards and lets the chainsaw simply run down the side of it, creating sparks but missing her completely. She then spins and slashes him again, knocking him back. She flips gracefully over him, slashing at his head and landing on the other side of him.**

 **The Lieutenant gets up and spins around, viciously swiping towards her sideways with the chainsaw. Weiss acrobatically lowers her body underneath it, dodging the blow and backflipping out of range before attacking in a series of slashes and stabs that throw him into the air and back onto the ground. She flips over him, facing him from another angle.**

' _This fight in particular will be quite useful to me.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I ended up loosing so badly all because of one mistake.'_

 **Rising from the ground, the Lieutenant slashes at the heiress, but she ducks out of the way. After attempting another overhead slash, which she dodges again, he manages to briefly knock her back after the two weapons clash. However, his subsequent kick towards her meets only a pile of boxes, as she leaps onto the ceiling. She spirals downwards with her weapon outstretched, but he steps out of the way. She lands, before getting up, deflecting one of his attacks, performing a backflip and countering with a stab of her own, which sends him flying backwards.**

"This fight almost seems comparable to the one Yang is in." Pyrrha says. "Except in this case, Weiss is the agile one who avoids getting hit."

"Unfortunately that doesn't last too long." Weiss says.

' _I guess that means I'll get to see how she was knocked out.'_ Blake thinks.

 **As the Lieutenant stands back on his feet, Weiss holds Myrtenaster in front of her and concentrates, mixing yellow Dust with her Semblance to create a haste glyph beneath herself. Utilizing her speed powerup, Weiss charges forward and creates a series of glyphs that surround the Lieutenant. She leaps and begins ricocheting off each of the glyphs, slashing him extremely quickly each time she passes him, knocking him to the ground.**

"You were using time dilation." Ruby says. "I thought you said you hadn't fully mastered it yet?"

"I haven't." Weiss admits. "That's why it was a mistake for me to use it then."

"Did something happen?" Yang asks.

"You'll see." Weiss replies. "I'm not particularly proud of it."

 **Creating another glyph, Weiss attempts to stab him where he lies, but the Lieutenant rolls backwards, preventing her from doing so.** **As she jumps in the air in order to attack him again, her entire body slows down. As if she is experiencing time at a different rate.**

"Wait. What just happened?" Jaune asks.

"A side effect of me overusing the time dilation." Weiss explains. "It essentially reverses the effect, giving my opponent a huge advantage."

"So that's why you said you made a mistake." Sun concludes.

"Correct." Weiss affirms. "But with time I should be able to overcome this drawback." _'Though honestly, I prefer using my Glyphs for propulsion instead.'_

 **Noticing his opportunity, the Lieutenant yells, "C'mere, princess!" and grabs her face before brutally raising her above his head and slamming her into the ground, causing debris to be flung around. He then throws her into the air and slashes at her with his chainsaw before the fight is cut abruptly.**

"Ouch!" Ruby winces. "I'm guessing you were able to recover though."

"Not because of my own efforts." Weiss admits. "It was only thanks to Blake that I was able get out of that situation intact."

"It was nothing." Blake says. "If not for you, I wouldn't have noticed we were about to crash."

"Forgive me for not feeling particularly proud of what happened." Weiss says.

' _I suppose that means I wasn't the only one to lose their fight.'_ Yang thinks. _'And I'm guessing I also had outside help.'_

 **Back with Yang, as she approaches her opponent, Neo smiles, taunting her, before Yang unleashes another attack. Neo counters, and begins kicking Yang back. Yang unleashes another blast from Ember Celica, which Neo blocks with her umbrella.**

"Pay very close attention to what happens during this fight." Yang tells the group, her eyes locked to the screen.

"Did something happen?" Blake asks.

"Possibly." Yang replies. "I'm not entirely sure."

"How can you not be sure?" Weiss asks. "You were actually there."

"I wasn't conscious the entire time." Yang answers.

 **The two spar briefly, hand to hand, before Yang grabs Neo's foot, and pulls her closer to throw her, only for Neo to perfectly use the momentum to land safely. Neo then spins over to balance on Yang's head, then uses her momentum to throw the blond into the ceiling, knocking her unconscious.**

"What…?" Ruby squeaks meekly. "You lost?"

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Weiss demands an answer. "How did you even survive?"

"I-I don't know." Yang admits. "I have an idea but…" She shifts around uncomfortably. "It's crazy, and I may have just been imagining things."

"What is it?" Ruby asks, only to receive no answer. "Why haven't you told us?"

"I'm sorry I just… I don't want to say it if I end up being proven wrong." Yang says.

' _Something strange is going on with Yang.'_ Ruby thinks. _'Usually she'd be open to telling me almost anything. This must be very important somehow.'_ She decides to just let it be. She'll find out what's wrong either way.

 **Cut back to Torchwick being held down by Blake, he grunts as she points her blade at his throat. "Oh, still feisty." He taunts. "Soooo, what are we gonna do now? You think a little bow on top is gonna make people forget who you were? What you've done...?"**

' _He's not completely wrong.'_ Blake thinks. _'Sure, I know it was just a trick to try and make me drop my guard. But that doesn't change the fact that I worked alongside people who only wanted to cause suffering. What's worse is that I just let the changes happen when I should have done something to show them the right way.'_

 **As she grits her teeth at his words, Blake hears the door from the previous train car open behind her. An unconscious Weiss is thrown to the floor, with the Lieutenant emerging from the doorway, holding his chainsaw.**

"So that's what happened." Weiss realises out loud. "I was wondering how you knew I needed help."

"I guess it was fortunate he sent you into this cart." Sun says. "I don't even what to think about what would happen otherwise."

' _I can certainly agree with that.'_ Weiss thinks. _'While I'm not one to have nightmares, if I were then Chainsaw wielding White Fang members would probably be a very common one.'_

" **So what's it gonna be, Blake?" Torchwick tries to present her with an ultimatum.**

 **In response to the criminals words, Blake sheaths her weapon and kicks Torchwick in the face, knocking him unconscious.**

"Take that!" Nora yells.

' _It's strange that Yang hasn't joined in.'_ Blake thinks. _'Normally she would be cheering for me hitting Torchwick just as much as Nora is.'_ She looks at her partner, who has a vacant expression. _'Something is definitely troubling her.'_

 **Blake now goes over to Weiss' aid, and flees with the heiress in her arms before the Lieutenant can reach them.**

"Does this mean the Lieutenant is still out there?" Jaune asks.

"Probably not." Weiss answers. "He was most likely killed during the crash, or captured like Torchwick was."

 **Meanwhile, Neo is seen pulling a thin hidden blade from within her umbrella and approaching the unconscious Yang.**

' _This is it.'_ Yang thinks. _'I swear if it cuts away again, I might actually break the screen.'_

 **As Neo** **prepares to deal the finishing blow, grinning sadistically while doing so, she hears a sound to her side and turns to see what it is.**

' _It's real.'_ Yang realises. _'There really was something that interfered. Now I just need to know what.'_

 **A mysterious masked woman clothed in black and red drops into the car from the ceiling, a reddish shadow covering the space she descended from. The woman charges at Neo, swinging her sword so as to force her to retreat.**

"What!" Weiss yells. "Who the hell is that?!"

"It's real." Yang mutters, oblivious to everyone else around her. "She was really there."

"Y-Yang?" Ruby pulls on her sisters sleeves. "A-are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Yang replies, letting out a long breath. "I-I just…. I wasn't sure if it was real."

 **Neo moves away, just barely managing to dodge the strike. Once they are a good distance away from each other, the masked woman stands as if threatening her opponent, and ensuring that no harm will come to Yang in this instance.**

"So this person saved you?" Weiss asks.

"It seems so." Yang replies. "I wasn't actually conscious during this part, so this is all new to me."

"Where did she even appear from?" Jaune asks. "Was she hiding on the ceiling or something?"

"I don't believe so." Ren says. "When she dropped down, there was a strange shadow covering the ceiling. She most likely appeared from that."

"The same thing happened when she left." Yang says.

 **Upon closer inspection, the masked woman is wearing a shallow cut black and red dress, she has long black hair and a sword that is in some kind of sheath that appears to have some complex Dust loading mechanic. Most notably though, is the mask she wears. The mask is white with red markings on it, but unlike those from the White Fang, this one covers her entire face, so that no expression or notable features can be seen.**

"Who could this be." Weiss asks for suggestions. "She wears a white mask so…"

"I've never heard of any White Fang members wearing a mask like that." Blake says. "The masks are all modelled after the first person to suggest the idea. And his doesn't look anything like it."

"…y mom." Ruby over hears a quiet murmur from her sister.

"What did you say?" Ruby asks.

Yang clears her throat. "I-I think that's my mother."

"Your mom!" Weiss exclaims. "The one who left you as a child?"

Yang slowly nods her head. "She looks a lot like in the picture I found. I wasn't sure before. I thought I might have been imagining it. But now it's impossible not to see the similarities."

' _Yang's mom was there!'_ Ruby internally yells. _'She was so close. Only a few meters away.'_

 **The mysterious swordswoman slowly draws her sword again - long and crimson red. Upon it exiting the sheath, it extends to become roughly twice the length it was before.**

"If that really is your mom, then she seems kinda awesome." Nora says.

 _'That doesn't change the fact that she left me.' Yang thinks. 'I still need to know why she did that.'_

 **Neo, realizing the imminent threat before her, wastes no time and seemingly disappears in a flash.**

' _We still don't know how she does that.'_ Ren thinks. _'It's obviously part of her Semblance, but we have no idea how exactly it works.'_

 **The swordswoman looks down at the still unconscious Yang, soft music playing in the background.**

"I'll be honest. I probably would have guessed that being Yang's mom." Sun says. "It just… wouldn't make sense for it to be anyone else."

"It doesn't make much sense for it to be her either." Yang grumbles. "After all this time, she chooses then to appear!"

"But you were in trouble." Ruby says. "If she hadn't appeared then…"

"If she cares so much… THEN SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE ABANDONED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Yang yells.

Ruby whimpers. Yang has never yelled at her like this before.

Yang feels a sudden pain, looking at Ruby's expression. "R-Ruby I'm sorry…"

Yang's apology is suddenly interrupted when Ruby pulls her in for a hug. Yang isn't sure how to react to this, instead just embracing the hug and letting all her emotions die down.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asks, letting go of the hug to look her sister in the eyes.

"Y-yeah." Yang replies. "I-I'm fine now."

Ruby smiles brightly. "Then why don't we watch the rest of this together." Her words are more a statement than a question.

' _That was… emotional.'_ Blake thinks _. 'Is this what it's going to be like when we get to the future?'_

 **The swordswoman then slashes her sword to the side, creating an eerie red portal. She walks away from Yang and into the portal.**

"Is that… some kind of portal?" Nora proposes. "Does this mean she can teleport."

"Possibly." Ren says. "It must be her Semblance. So it probably has something that balances it out."

 **At that moment, Yang regains some consciousness and slowly gets back up. As she opens her eyes again, she gets a brief glimpse at her rescuer before the woman disappears.**

"And that's all I got to see." Yang explains. "I hope you can understand why I didn't tell anyone."

"I understand." Blake says. "Though I wish you had at least told us something."

' _Then I should probably say something about Ruby's letter.'_ Yang thinks. _'But then… why was it given to me in particular. It should have been left somewhere we would all find it. Better to figure out more before alarming anyone._ ' Yang desperately clings to any reason to keep it secret.

 **Yang rubs her head, still reeling after just regaining consciousness, before standing up and leaving the scene.**

"I totally get why you would think it wasn't real." Sun says. "I would probably think the same thing."

 **Back to Ruby and Oobleck, the Doctor dodges a couple swipes from a Paladin, and then runs to the top of its head, and shoots it in its engine before jumping back down. Ruby twirls Crescent Rose around a few times, and then she and Oobleck fire simultaneously at the Paladin's feet, knocking it off the train. The both of them switch positions.**

"Aww… we missed most of my fight." Ruby mopes.

"Clearly it wasn't important enough." Weiss says.

Ruby frowns at this, but is unable to refute it.

" **Ruby! You go on ahead!" Oobleck points towards the front of the train.**

 **Ruby tries to complain. "But-"**

" **Don't worry Ruby." Oobleck interrupts. "It's time... I teach them a lesson..."The Doctor goes to take on two oncoming Paladins.**

"What did he do during the crash?" Blake wonders.

"I heard he too shelter inside a Paladin." Ruby says. "He and Zwei then joined in during the battle of The Breach."

 **Before Ruby leaves, she notices the saddened Zwei looking up at her. She smiles and motions for him to go join his new friend. "Go."**

"Yeah!" Nora bumps her fists. "No way they stand a chance now."

 **With that, Zwei expression changes dramatically and barks happily before running off to fight alongside the Doctor.**

 **Ruby hurries to the front of the train. The remaining members of Team RWBY re-emerge from the train cars to re-join their leader.**

' _I'm just glad I woke up in time.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It would have been bad if I hadn't been able to shied us.'_

 **The camera zooms up to show that the train tracks lead directly to a thick concrete wall.**

 **Ruby looks on worriedly as she realizes the train is on a collision course.**

" **What do we do?" Blake asks the team leader.**

"I'm interested in that too." Pyrrha says. "How did you survive?"

"Just wait to find out." Ruby says.

 **Ruby and Weiss smile at each other, and the latter forms an ice shield to protect her teammates, bracing themselves for the impending crash.**

"That worked?" Jaune asks. "Isn't ice really fragile compared to concrete?"

"It was only meant to reduce the impact to a manageable amount." Weiss answers. "It was specifically created with a shape that would direct most of the force away from us."

 **As the train crashes into the wall, the explosion causes the entire screen to go white.**

' _That's a good summary of what it was actually like.'_ Blake thinks.

 **The camera switches to Ruby's first person perspective as she recovers from the collision. She hears the sound of an emergency alarm blaring as her vision comes back with buildings into her view. She turns her head to the lower right and sees Blake and Yang slowly getting back up, her sister coughing as the dust settles. She turns her head again and sees Weiss sitting up against a large piece of debris, who also gives a thumbs up at her team leader signalling she's okay.**

"I'm surprised you were still able to fight after that." Jaune says.

"We had to." Ruby replies. "We were extremely exhausted afterwards, but people were in danger so we didn't have a choice."

' _I agree.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'As long as there's the slightest chance you can save someone, you have to take it no matter the risks.'_

 **The camera switches back to show Ruby as she sits back up. The team of huntresses then notice, much to their chagrin, that they have returned to the central part of Vale, and multiple civilians in the area notice them among the debris.**

"They must have been pretty shocked when this happened." Yang says.

 **Ruby hears the sound of low rumbles and growls from behind her. Suddenly, a giant King Taijitu emerges from the hole, and multiple Grimm start pouring into Vale. The civilians scream as they attempt to flee the chaos.**

"Unfortunately, shock was one of the last emotions they would have been feeling at this point." Weiss says.

 **The sounds of screams and roars fill the air, and all Team RWBY can do is watch in horror. Cut to a close up on Ruby, her expression changes from worried and scared to angry and determined. The alarm continues to blare as the screen suddenly cuts to black...**

' _This must have been the worst thing I have ever seen.'_ Ruby thinks. _'The sheer amount of terror that had overcome everyone… I hope no one ever has to go through this again. I hope that next time we can stop it before it escalates to this point.'_

"So that's it then." Sun says. "Should we just move on to the next video?"

"I think so." Pyrrha says. "So unless anyone has an objection."

Hearing no one, Pyrrha starts the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Torchwick beating up Ruby

Torchwick's cane has a grappling feature

Explosions interrupt confrontation

Rest of team RWBY plus teacher, come to rescue her

Ruby escapes

Torchwick starts the train before they are ready

Ruby tries to call Jaune for backup – fails due to low signal

Team decides to stop train

WF member notices, and informs Torchwick

Train cart contains bomb

Unsure how much Dust was used for the bombs

Cart detaches

Most carts have bombs – carts being detached in turn

WF tries to stop team – Fails

Carts explode causing Grimm to enter tunnel – leading Grimm to the city

Blake, Yang and Weiss descend to stop the bombs

Ruby and Oobleck vs Paladins

Zwei has aura

Oobleck knows Yang and Ruby's dad?

Neo stops below group, Yang stays behind to fight her

Neo is a very good fighter, mostly avoids getting hit

Blake and Weiss run into Lieutenant, Weiss stays behind to fight him

Blake finds Torchwick, they fight

Blake wins with use of Dust, manages to pin Torchwick down

Weiss winning against Lieutenant

Weiss looses due to failed time dilation

Yang's fight is important somehow

Yang loses, knocked unconscious

Weiss thrown into Blakes cart, Blake knocks out Torchwick and flees with Weiss

Strange woman appears out of nowhere to save Yang, must take notes on appearance later, most important aspect is mask

New swordswoman is probably Yang's mother

Neo retreats, must figure out how she did it.

Swordswoman can create portals, must be some special requirements

Yang awakens to catch a glance of swordswoman

Oobleck fights Paladins while Ruby advances

RWBY group together

Weiss creates Ice to protect them from crash

Team RWBY awakens to find themselves in Vale

Grimm invade city

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Did you know that the top eight most reviewed RWBY fanfics on this site are all written by the exact same person? Wouldn't it be amazing if my fanfic was able to reduce that number? I know that's just hopeful thinking, but if I keep going at this and the amount of reviews per chapter doesn't decrease, I figure I can make it in less than 65 chapters, even fewer if the amount of reviewers increases like how it seems to be. In other words, I really like reviews, so tell me your thoughts on the chapter, especially if you can think of a way to improve it.**

 **I'll soon be going back to put some finishing touches on the story, if you have suggestions on what to do, please tell me. Especially regarding how it started, the exact situation that lead to them entering the room seems sorta weak to me.**

 **I have now watched V6C3. It is amazing. There are some things I want to talk about though. Firstly, I never supported the idea that Ozpin and Salem were past lovers, but I can accept it given the way it was done. Secondly, many people consider the God's jerks, but I prefer to think of them as beings that cannot be held to the same standards that we do. Thirdly, I think Dust is actually moon rocks, I'm surprised I haven't heard the idea from someone else yet. Finally, I sorta forgive Ozpin, most people would give up after finding out the enemy is immortal, so it makes sense to hide that fact (not that I'm happy about it).**

 **I am also now holding a poll as to find out the most looked forward to aspect of the V3 reaction, you get to pick three.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	31. V2: FC: Breach

**Sorry this chapter took so long.**

 **Review Notes:**

 **I know I've said it before, but I write most parts of the show by editing the transcripts to a story structure. This chapter actually had one of the worst transcripts to date.**

 **The entity that placed them in this room is an OC, and if I'm being honest, a slight SI. For this reason I keep their interaction with the group minimal (SI in a react fic don't make sense.)**

 **I should be starting V3 immediately after the V6 ends.**

 **I love these characters, and it will break my heart to purposely make them watch what may be the worst moments of their lives. However it must be done for their sakes.**

 **The 'dream sequence' at the end of V2C12 is actually a real event that was cut from the story since only Monty knew where it was going. I have used a certain method to have everything make sense, unfortunately some people may be slightly mad about it.**

 **No, I will not be adding Zwei. I believe I have already stated my reasons why.**

 **If a question has already been answered in my bio, I will not answer it again.**

 **I will include ' _Not Fall in Love With You'_ however it won't be very important.**

 **Ren's notes were never meant to be anything other than a little bonus at the end of the chapter. However, it would be interesting if they somehow ended up in an identical RWBY reality. Possibility of a side story.**

 **I don't know if all the CCT towers are hacked, but my assumption is no.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: (still open to anyone who makes a suggestion or correction for improving last chapter)**

* * *

 **Volume 2: Final Chapter: Breach**

"Last video in the volume." Weiss notices. "I can't say I'm surprised though."

"And it's going to be about The Breach." Sun adds. "Though that's kinda obvious."

 **Jaune is sleeping during the night inside Team JNPR's dorm room, his scroll on the bedside table.**

"Are we… watching Jaune in his sleep?" Yang says.

"I think I know where this is heading." Jaune says. "But even still… It's sorta creepy."

" **Waffles..." Jaune mutters in his sleep.**

Ruby chuckles. "And now it's sorta funny."

Jaune grimaces, then points towards Nora. "I blame you for this."

Nora puts on a smug expression. "I don't know what you're talking about. You were looking forward to them as much as me."

Jaune rolls his eyes. _'I'm not the one who made a miniature fort out of them, then ate it in some twisted re-enactment.'_

 **Suddenly, Jaune's scroll wakes him up. With a call from Ruby.**

"This the call you got from Ruby?" Blake asks.

"It is." Jaune confirms. "I couldn't make any sense of it though."

 **Jaune accepts the call, and puts the scroll to his ear. "Hello?"**

 **Disjointed noises are heard from the scroll, until it automatically hangs up on itself.**

"That would be pretty worrying." Yang comments. "Especially with how you knew we were out on a mission."

"It's my fault." Pyrrha takes the blame. "I'm the one who convinced him it's nothing to worry about."

"What would you even do?" Sun asks rhetorically. "I doubt telling anyone would make a difference."

" **Uh, Ruby?" Jaune questions, giving his scroll a weird look.**

 **Later, during sunrise ,Team JNPR walks along the path towards their Bullhead.**

" **I'm sure they're fine." Pyrrha assures Jaune.**

" **You think?" Jaune replies uncertainly.**

"We were actually lucky to ignore it." Ren says. "Otherwise we wouldn't have been so close to the Bullhead."

' _That was just dumb luck though.'_ Jaune thinks. _'What if next time we end up abandoning someone who needs help.'_

" **Probably a butt dial..." Nora dismisses, skipping along without a care.**

"I don't ever sent butt dials." Ruby says. "Just so everyone knows. If I call you, it's not an accident."

"I suppose it's good to get that out of the way." Weiss nods. "The same applies to me."

"Same here." Blake says, with the others all confirming that they are the same.

" **Team RWBY has always performed exceptionally in the field." Ren points out. "We should be focusing on our own mission.**

"Aww, it's so nice to know you have faith in us." Yang says.

"Yep!" Nora nods. "You're definitely the second best team in our year."

"What do you mean _second best._ " Weiss scowls.

"I'm guessing that only applies to Beacon… right." Sun laughs nervously.

" **We're gonna be deputies!" Nora cheers.**

"Are you disappointed about not going?" Blake asks.

"Nah." Nora shakes her head. "I'd rather kill a King Taijitu any day of the week."

" **I just got this, feeling..." Jaune says. "I don't know.**

" **Jaune..." Pyrrha says to catch his attention.**

"Someone's got good instincts." Sun says.

"I was just worried." Jaune says. "Is it that strange for a guy to be worried for his friends?"

 **But before Pyrrha can say what she wants to, alarms start ring out in the distance, as they see part of Vale up in smoke.**

"You could see the damage from so far away?" Weiss says in disbelief.

"It isn't that surprising." Pyrrha says. "We just saw the smoke from the initial explosion. You four seemed to be… not fully focused during that point."

Weiss concedes this point by nodding her head to the side.

" **We're changing our mission." Jaune declares. "Everyone on board!"**

"I guess that explains why you were the first ones to back us up." Yang says.

"We were rather lucky with our timing." Jaune admits. "Nora actually got really excited and charged in ahead of us."

"You're welcome." Nora smiles.

"The rest of us wouldn't have been able to pull a move like that." Pyrrha explains. "She launched herself from my shield and used her ammo to boost her speed."

 **Jaune leads them onto the Bullhead, catching Ren just as he's about to get on. "Ren, we'll make it to that village another time." He then yells to the pilot. "Take us into the city!"**

' _Does Ren have some special reason why he wanted to be there?'_ Blake wonders. _'He said things turned out fine though.'_

 **As the Bullhead takes off, Mercury, Cinder, and Emerald watch nearby.**

"Perfect." Ren comments. "We'll be able to see how they reacted to how it turned out."

"I suppose it will be nice to know badly we messed things up for them." Weiss says.

" **You don't think..." Emerald looks over to the smoke in the distance.**

" **Sure looks like it." Mercury agrees.**

" **That's still days away." Emerald says.**

"Only days?" Sun takes notice. "I guess that means they were planning on it happening less than a week later."

"Did anything important happen around then?" Blake asks.

"Ironwood was given temporary control of the City's defences, until the Vytal festival is over." Weiss answers. "However that was most likely in response to The Breach."

"Anything else." Ruby asks.

"Not that I can think of." Weiss tries to recall. "The only thing of note is how relatively few Hunters would have been in the city, due to the celebration of lasting peace."

"There's no doubt they were planning to use that as an opportunity." Ren says. "Perhaps as a way of attacking Ozpin while the rest of the Hunters were dealing with The Breach?"

"Then why'd they give up?" Yang points out. "All the beat teachers were busy in Vale, but they were there too after the fighting ended."

" **So?" Mercury looks to Cinder. "What do we do?**

 **The camera pans to a close-up of Cinder's face, as she narrows her eyes to make a decision.**

"We already know she gave up her plans." Ruby says. "Why is it making such a big deal of this?"

"I think these video's weren't originally created for us." Jaune says.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

"I'm not really sure." Jaune answers. "Just the way it presents all the information, and especially how we already know everything from the bonus videos. It seems as if they've been reused from something else."

"Wait… so other people have seen this?" Yang asks. _'That would mean they saw my talk with Blake. It was hard enough having just my friends see that.'_

"Probably." Jaune answers. "I find it hard to believe that this was made for us."

 **Meanwhile, Team RWBY is surrounded in the middle of the pavilion by Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and a massive King Taijitu. The King Taijitu unleashes a mighty roar, signalling the Grimm to attack.**

"That's a lot of Grimm to have to fight on your own." Sun comments.

"We could manage it." Ruby declares.

"We could not." Weiss states bluntly. "The amount of Grimm invading was so large, we would have been exhausted without help."

"Erm… Your welcome?" Sun tries to figure out if he's been complimented.

"Oh. Did you say something?" Weiss dismisses. "I was referring to the Atlesian army."

 **Ruby plants Crescent Rose on the ground and uses it as a pivot to run in circles, kicking away the Beowolves that surround her.**

"You certainly handled everything fine." Jaune says. "Weren't you tired from a lack of sleep?"

Ruby sighs. "Yes. Yes I was. But I couldn't just give up on fighting. A good Huntress needs to be able to fight regardless of how little sleep they get."

"I'll admit that it was hard to get used to." Weiss says. "However Ruby used certain… unpleasant methods to train our team this situation."

"You were the only one that needed the training." Blake states. "Yang and Ruby were already trained for it, and I've been on the road for so long it's just second nature."

' _You didn't have to say that out loud.'_ Weiss glares at Blake.

' _I guess I should get used to it too.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I'm sure the rest of my team is already trained for it.'_

 **Yang jumps onto a creeps head, propelling herself upwards to allow her to perform an aerial bombardment. Unfortunately, three Nevermores send her crashing to the ground.**

"That was a rather… reckless move." Pyrrha says.

"Eh. It helped me build up my semblance." Yang responds.

' _That's not a very good strategy for fighting.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

 **Blake slashes a Beowolf with Gambol Shroud before firing on the other approaching Grimm.**

 **Weiss slashes three Beowolves, before summoning a glyph to conjure up an ice blade and slash it against her enemies.**

"Cool!" Nora points to the ice blade. "How'd you do that."

"It's just a single blade of ice." Weiss dismisses. "I can only control its initial direction, and It used up some of my remaining Dust." _'Not as good as Summoning would be, but I'm just not capable of that.'_

 **Yang, back on the ground, sends several cars flying towards the Grimm.**

 **As Ruby finishes slashing at a Grimm, she notices the King Taijitu about to attack her. Fortunately, the attack is interrupted when Nora comes flying in as if riding on her Magnhild hammer, slamming it on the beasts head and killing it.**

"And the day is saved!" Nora cheers. "No need to thank me, it's all in a day's work."

Yang sighs. "Thank you Nora, we couldn't have managed without you." A hint of sarcasm can be heard in her voice.

"Your welcome!" Nora smiles, ignoring anything that doesn't boost her ego.

 **Nora jumps back onto level ground, now with the rest of her team with her, ready to join the battle.**

" **Let's move!" Pyrrha yells, as she, Nora, and Ren run of into battle. Leaving Jaune to sigh in frustration, trailing behind them.**

' _I'm the one who's supposed to be the leader.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I can't hesitate next time an emergency like this happens.'_

 **Nora slams her hammer into a Grimm's head. Ren jumps from a Creep's head, firing at it and kicking another that lunges at him.**

" **Okay, who's first?" Jaune asks, ready to prove his skills.**

 **The ground shakes around him, and Jaune turns around to notice a giant Ursa roaring at him.**

"Now I remember." Jaune says out loud. "I wasn't too worried, since I'd already dealt with a similar situation, but a guess after what we saw before." He turns to look Pyrrha in the eyes. _'You helped me again didn't you?'_

Pyrrha notices Jaunes pained expression, and instantly knows the question he wants to ask. "Just keep watching." _'It's better if you see for yourself.'_

" **Oh-oh-okay, you're first, huh?" Jaune backs away nervously. "Okay, no, that's-that's fine."**

 **Nearby, Pyrrha is taking out a wave of Grimm with ease. Upon finishing the ones nearby, she looks over to see Jaune slowly backing away from the Ursa.**

Jaunes expression dips even more. _'So she really did save me again.'_ He clenches his fists and hardens his face. _'I can't let this be my role in the relationship.'_

" **Totally fine, done this before, done this before..." Jaune tells himself.**

' _No you haven't.'_ Jaune thinks. _'At least, no on your own.'_

 **With a mighty scream, Jaune slashes at the Ursa several times. With the actual way his blows land being obscured so as to make it unsure if they are effective.**

 **Once Jaune finishes his flurry of attacks, the Ursa stands there for a moment, before falling back and slowly disintegrating.**

 **Pyrrha smiles, as she notices Jaune's improvement.**

"Y-You really had nothing to do with it." Jaune says, his eyes locked on the screen and a smile growing on his face.

"I only watched." Pyrrha confirms. "You won that fight one on one."

"Now I just feel like an idiot for worrying so much." Jaune says.

 **A few feet from the fallen Ursa, Sun and Neptune arrive.**

"Hey Sun, it's you." Ruby points.

"Y-Yeah, great." Sun mutters. _'I'm not particularly proud of how my entrance turned out.'_

" **Nobody move! Junior detectives!" Sun announces, flashing his badge.**

" **We have badges so you know it's official!" Neptune also holds out his badge, fist bumping Sun with the other hand.**

"Weren't they only temporary?" Blake asks.

"That's not the point." Sun complains. "We were technically detectives, investigating a crime scene on our second day of the job."

 **Sun and Neptunes cool arrival is short lived however, as A fleet from the Atlesian Military arrives overhead. Consisting of dropships deploying Atlesian Knight-200 units and the flagship of General Ironwood.**

"We were rather lucky to have them in Vale at that point." Weiss says. "Hunters may be the ones most capable on an individual level, but there is no denying how powerful the Atlas military is."

"Why were they there at that point?" Yang asks. "I know there was a reason, but I can't really remember."

"It was to safely transport students from the Academy." Weiss answers. "Though we also now know it was also a precaution due to Qrow's message."

"That means it's thanks to uncle Qrow that The Breach was so easily dealt with." Ruby concludes.

"I suppose." Weiss admits. "From a certain perspective, that's true."

 **Sun and Neptune react in awe of the fleet as Sun drops his badge to the floor.**

Blake chuckles lightly. "I suppose you don't compare to real law enforcement."

"Especially given how your first introduction to us was by breaking the law." Yang adds.

"I helped!" Sun complains. "Don't think me and Neptune just stood there doing nothing."

 **As Team RWBY looks up in the sky, an Ursa takes the opportunity to attack Ruby from behind. However, it is gunned down by a dropship's machine gun.**

' _I guess that means I have to be really thankful to the Atlesian army now.'_ Yang thinks.

 **As the robotic Knights deploy, they start gunning down the Grimm. Two of the Knights are stampeded on by a Boarbatusk, but a separate group of three Knights are able to defeat an Ursa, and another Ursa has fallen from a Knight's punch.**

"Not very strong compared to a single Grimm." Pyrrha evaluates. "But considering how they are completely disposable, the victories they achieve are certainly worth the losses."

 **Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald now appear on the streets, watching the ongoing chaos.**

"What did they do during the fight?" Jaune wonders.

"I remembers seeing Emerald fighting Grimm." Ruby says. "I'm not sure if they did anything else though."

 **Cinder nods her head, signalling Mercury and Emerald to attack the Grimm as she walks off. As an Ursa receives the business end of Mercury's Boots, at least half a dozen assorted Grimm stand in front of Emerald. It turns out that Emerald's Weapons are actually a pair of bladed, revolver shaped pistols firing Dust particle lasers at the Grimm. The Grimm pack learn this the hard way, when all but a single Ursa Major fall while charging at Emerald.**

"It would seem that they gave up their plans." Ren deduces. "They were probably trying to blend in, so they can make another attempt later."

"Possibly." Weiss says uncertainly. _'But then why hasn't Torchwick sold them out? What would he have to gain by staying silent?'_

 **Emerald quickly transforms her pistols into kopis blades, flipping and slashing at the rampaging Ursa, her blades detach with connecting chains, giving her the extra distance to kill it without being hit a single time.**

"We should probably try to figure out her maximum range." Blake proposes. "If we can do that, then it would be very useful when we next confront her."

"I will look back to see how far she can extend them later." Ren volunteers. "However it won't be her maximum, just the shortest reach she can definitely extent her weapons."

"I should be able to deal with her relatively easily." Pyrrha suggests. "She already knows about my Semblance, so there would be no need for me to hold back. Plus, since her weapons are connected by chains, I have plenty of ways to mess up her attacks."

 **Then, something happens at the Breach itself. A paladin emerges, but rather than any White Fang members, it is accompanies by Zwei, who leaps out and headbutts a Beowolf.**

"You have an amazing dog." Nora says. "Did I ever mention that?"

"You've already made your feelings very clear." Yang answers.

"Still. I don't feel like I've said it enough." Nora says.

 **An airship arrives, dropping off Team CFVY and Professor Peter Port.**

"Great!" Ruby cheers. "Now we get to see how older students compare to us."

" ** _Listen up, strap in, notify your next of kin. You're about to take a ride a little on the blazing side."_ Team CFVY jumps from the airship to join the battle.**

"New song!" Nora yells. "I was thinking that it'd been a while since the last one."

"None since the dance." Blake recalls. "Though we did take a break to listen to some of them."

" ** _Guzzle down your Red Bull, you're gonna need a bucket full. You're watching me accelerate and tear apart the interstate."_ As Yatsuhashi is surrounded by a pack of Grimm, he swings his mighty greatsword on the ground, unleashing a shockwave. _"A certified monster I'm an absolute trip. Like Otis Redding, hard to handle so you better get a grip."_**

"That's not too impressive." Yang boasts. "Me and Nora could probably do the same."

"The difference is how little effort he has to use." Pyrrha explains. "He could probably fight like that for a long period of time. But you would be tired out after a while."

"But before that I'd be much stronger than him." Yang complains.

"That's not very useful when enemies keep appearing." Pyrrha lectures.

"But that's what the rest of us are there for." Ruby says. "We fight as a team, and Yang's the one to deal the finishing blow."

"Unless some kind of blade is required." Blake points out. "Then you're the one to finish it."

"I fight best against Grimm." Ruby admits.

" ** _A super-fast, superfly, bonafide wise guy. Call the morgue and say goodbye, write your will; it's time to die."_ Velvet and Fox respectively kick and punch the Grimm.**

"Does anyone understand the lyrics?" Sun asks. "They seem to be going pretty fast."

"I can't understand much of it." Ren admits. "However, from what I can tell, I doubt it will be relevant in any way."

" ** _Caffeine. I'm caffeine."_ An Ursa Major charges at Fox and Velvet, however Fox unleashes a combo of slashes and punches that cause it to explode, impaling the nearby Grimm with its spikes.** **_"I'm a bad dream. I'm a rad scene. I'm a tad mean. But I'm not… afraid to take you out."_**

"It's definitely just a theme song." Jaune concludes. "So far, team CFVY doesn't seem connected to any of the important parts of the videos, so this is just so they can have an epic fighting debut."

" **Nice hustle, Fox." Coco gives him a light pat on the butt as she walks by. "Good job."**

 **Coco approaches an Alpha Beowolf that then roars at her. She pulls her shades down. "You just destroyed my favourite clothing store." She puts her shades back up and spits to the side. "Prepare to die."**

"Perhaps I should get some shades." Nora says. "They make Coco look awesome!"

"I… doubt that's a good idea." Ren says. Nora's whims rarely turn out well for him.

" ** _I'm a cheetah on the plains, I'm the highway star."_ The Alpha lunges it's right arm at Coco, but she simply swats its aside with her handbag, with little to no effort used. She then walks closer to the beast and kicks it in the groin area, sending it to its knees and letting her stare down at it. _"A supersonic princess in a million dollar car."_**

"Notice how she's barely needed to move." Pyrrha says. "She's aware enough of her enemy that she knows exactly what it takes to bring it down."

" ** _Blood on fire pumping through my veins."_ Coco pulls her bag over her head and slams it down into the Alpha's head, crushing it and leaving impact marks on the floor around it. _"Weaving in and out while I'm bolting through the lanes."_**

" ** _I'm hyperdrive, overdrive, hit the gas at fifty-five, breakneck, trainwreck, in my presence genuflect."_ More Beowolves and a Death Stalker approach Coco, so she swings her bag again to send the Beowolves away and then dodges back from the Death Stalker's stinger. _"Track-roundin', speed-a-soundin', lectrifyin', pulse-poundin', heart-pumpin', brain-thumpin', watch me get the party jumpin'. Caffeine."_**

"Is this song really just about the main component of their namesake?" Weiss questions. "It seems like a rather weak premise for a song."

"It's just meant to be upbeat and fun." Jaune explains. "It doesn't have to delve into anything deep."

' _I suppose I shouldn't hold up all songs to my standards.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Velvet steps forward, about to open her box, but Coco stops her. "Hey, come on, you just spent all the semester building that up. Don't waste it here."**

"So… what's in the box?" Sun asks.

"I honestly have no idea." Weiss admits. "This isn't trying to hide her secret weapon from a competing school. I truly haven't a clue."

"Me neither." Pyrrha says. "And that's quite surprising considering my history in tournaments."

"I know." Ruby declares. "I asked her about it when we first met."

"Of course you did." Yang sighs. "Was your second question asking for her name?"

"It might have been." Ruby admits. "But I'm not going to tell you what her weapon is."

"Come on." Nora begs. "I'll give you my share of pancakes."

"I doubt it." Ruby retorts, leaving Nora to grin in acknowledgment of that truth. "But I'll give you a hint: It's something only she can make use of its full potential."

"Is it something to do with her Faunus traits?" Pyrrha asks, now very curious.

"No, her Semblance." Ruby explains.

" ** _I'm a bad dream. I'm a rad scene_." Coco then transforms her handbag into a giant minigun, and starts firing, slaughtering the advancing horde of Grimm, including a Death Stalker and three Nevermores. _"I'm a tad mean. But I'm not afraid to take you out."_**

"That thing is powerful." Yang looks in awe at the sheer annihilation the minigun caused.

"It's likely due to the ammo she used." Ruby explains. "She probably only used them since it's an emergency, and she's likely to be paid back for the cost of each bullet."

 **Zwei walks up to Oobleck, who is now out of the Paladin and adjusting his backpack. Port approaches his fellow teacher, and they nod heads at each other. The two fire their projectiles at the approaching Grimm, taking them out while with very little effort.**

"I'm guessing those two have been working together for a while." Blake says. "It's not surprising that they'd know how to fight alongside each other effectively."

"And that's why the academies have teams." Weiss says. "It's very rare for Hunters to take on big missions on their own."

"Uncle Qrow does." Yang points out.

"And for all we know, he goes on recon missions to learn more about Cinder's organisation." Weiss says. "It's possible that being alone actually helps him in that kind of mission."

' _That and that the rest of his team is… unavailable for various reasons.'_ Ruby thinks sadly.

 **Nearby, Goodwitch is walking along the streets with an angry expression on her face. A couple of Grimm try to attack her from behind, but she waves her crop around to send them slamming into nearby buildings.**

"She looks pissed." Nora says meekly, considering hiding behind the sofa.

"I hope she never has reason to get that angry at us." Ruby agrees.

 **Goodwitch then points at the Breach, using her Semblance to fix all the bits of rubble so that everything is as if there had never been an invasion in the first place.**

"We are so lucky to have someone with that Semblance." Weiss says. "Can you imagine how long it would take to repair everything without her?"

"There would definitely have been much more Grimm invading the city without her." Ren agrees.

 **Later on, everyone meets in the pavilion as Torchwick is escorted by Mercury and Emerald towards an Atlesian airship.**

"So… they were the ones that brought him in?" Sun finds this hard to believe.

"They probably thought it would make us trust them more." Blake concludes. "And they were right. Since then we have been much kinder to Emerald."

"I still don't understand why Torchwick hasn't ratted them out." Weiss says.

"Perhaps he has." Blake argues. "If Torchwick told me not to trust someone I thought was a friend, I would just consider it him messing with me."

"Also, he's completely crazy." Sun adds. "Perhaps he just doesn't care."

" **Oh, I can't believe that you caught me, you've really taught me the error of my ways." Torchwick remarks sarcastically. An Atlesian Knight, grabs him by the arm. "He-hey, watch the hat!"**

' _Something about this just doesn't seem right.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Perhaps I'm overthinking things, but he almost seems… happy about the idea of being caught.'_

 **Emerald and Mercury then approach the group of friends and give fake smiles to Ruby, who unknowing of the truth, smiles back.**

"You don't get to be a part of this happy picture!" Ruby yells at the screen.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" Yang looks at her sister with concern.

"Just a bit annoyed." Ruby says, clearly not too emotionally distraught. "This was meant to be our moment of triumph. But they ruined the happy moment pretending to be our friends."

 **Team JNPR is seen exchanging smiles, Sun and Neptune bump fists, Team CFVY likewise smile at each other, and Port and Oobleck do the same while Goodwitch watches from behind. The camera ascends towards the orange and pink-coloured sky as triumphant and congratulatory music plays in the background.**

"That's more like it." Ruby smiles at the screen. "This is just like the ending from one of those heroic stories."

"But it's not over yet." Weiss warns. "We've still go more enemies we have to beat, and questions that haven't been answered."

 **Afterwards, Team RWBY and Zwei are sitting on the edge of Beacon's landing platform, overlooking the City of Vale from across the lake.**

" **Well, we did it." Yang says.**

" **We did it." Blake agrees.**

"We did it!" Nora repeats.

"We… did it?" Jaune says, unsure if it's okay to keep it going.

" **If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm gonna be seriously disappointed." Weiss remarks.**

" **Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery." Yang points out. "I wouldn't count on it."**

"Goodwitch wasn't very happy with us." Blake recalls, making Ruby shudder at the memory. "Though I think she was more annoyed at Oobleck, for not dealing with the situation better."

"Bet if she saw these videos then she'd feel bad for going at him like that." Weiss says.

"You think we can do that?" Yang asks. "Bring the videos out of this place and show them to other people?"

"If we're luck then it's not impossible that our host will let us do that." Weiss answers. "But it would make all the effort Ren's put into his notes useless."

"My notes are for quick reminders." Ren explains. "They also list some of the theories we've been making, in case we never get the answers we want."

"It's good to have a backup." Pyrrha nods.

" **Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything." Ruby reminds them. "A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this, or who that mystery girl was."**

"At least now we know who it is." Blake says.

"And we should be finding out the reasons soon enough." Weiss agrees. "Altogether we're in a much better position than we were back then."

" **Well, not every story has a neat and tidy ending." Weiss says.**

"Were we idiots for thinking it might all be over?" Yang asks. "Because I kinda feel like an idiot now."

"We all thought Torchwick was the boss." Blake says. "I guess we just hoped that it would all fall apart without him."

" **We might not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars." Blake says. "And I think that's something we could be proud of."**

"It is." Sun agrees. "I gotta tell ya, not many people in Vacuo or Mistral can say they've done what you have."

"I just wish these events didn't paint such a bleak view of Faunus." Blake mumbles. "A group of mostly Faunus criminals, stopped by mostly humans. That doesn't sound like a very good message to be spreading."

"At least they can't do any more harm." Yang tries to comfort her partner. "After what happened, the White Fang haven't been involved in any criminal activity since."

' _That's honestly the part that worries me the most.'_ Blake thinks.

" **Yeah!" Ruby agrees. "And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them."**

"Except we'll actually be able to stop them before they even start." Weiss says. "All we have to do is figure out what their next attempt will be."

 **Yang lies down on her back and mutters in exhaustion. "Yay, teamwork, camaraderie, good guys, go team, alright, good job..." She gets up to look at the others. "So, what now?"**

" **I'd suggest training for the tournament, but I think we have that covered at this point." Weiss answers.**

"Then why are you still so insistent on us doing our training exercises." Yang asks.

"That was just for one day." Weiss declares. "I still intend for us to be one of the few first years to win the tournament."

"The people a year older than us didn't even have a chance at that." Nora points out.

" **So then..." Blake prompts.**

" **Uhh... time for bed?" Ruby suggests.**

" **Please." Yang agrees.**

" **Absolutely." Blake says.**

" **Yes." Weiss confirms.**

" **I'm going to sleep forever." Yang says.**

 **Team RWBY and Zwei then stand up and heads back towards Beacon's main campus.**

"I guess that's to be expected." Pyrrha concedes. "You ended up getting very little sleep the previous night, then woke up very early and had to fight for ages. I'm honestly surprised you made it until sunset."

"We didn't have much of a choice." Ruby says. "The police wanted to know exactly what lead to the biggest Grimm invasion since… I don't actually know how long."

 **Meanwhile in Ozpin's office, three unknown figures are on call. The headmaster aloofly stares outside his window.**

"You think we'll be able to see Ozpin's reaction to everything that happened?" Jaune asks.

"Hopefully." Weiss says. "It would make the decision on whether or not to trust him much easier."

"It's not as if he's glad it happened." Yang points out.

" **Ozpin?" One councilman says, only to receive no response. "Ozpin!"**

 **Ozpin turns his chair towards his desk. "Yes, Councilman."**

"The Vale council." Blake groans. "They always appear to have the best intentions, but they never actually choose the best choice."

"They've never seemed that bad to me." Ruby says.

"I'm mostly referring to the Faunus movement." Blake admits. "In terms of defending the kingdom from Grimm, I don't have many complaints."

 **A video feed of the councilmen is shown on a holographic screen with Ironwood's video feed in the corner.**

" **You've left us no choice!" The councilman says. "The Vytal Festival tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens."**

"They wouldn't actually cancel the tournament, would they?" Weiss suddenly seems worried.

"They would never do that." Ren assures everyone. "To do so would be admitting weakness, and they can't risk such widespread worry."

 **Ozpin simply sips from his cup.**

' _I can never figure out what he's thinking.'_ Blake narrows her eyes at the screen. _'He hides his emotions better than anyone I've ever met before.'_

" **Ahem..." The councilman tries to draw back attention. "Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council, and together have decided that the best action is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event."**

"And that's how things turned out as they are." Yang concludes. "Sorta worrying how we can so easily see what should be a private meeting."

"It's not a problem as long as whoever our host is doesn't hand out viewings like this as if they're nothing." Weiss says.

" **Thank you, Councilman." Ironwood's image nods. "Our Kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that the event runs smoothly and safely as possible."**

"It's a relief to know that's the reason." Jaune says. "Did you know that some people online think this is an excuse for Atlas to invade?"

"Who the hell came up with that?" Yang responds. "From what I've heard about the Great War, no-one should want a repeat of that."

"Probably just some internet trolls." Jaune replies. "Though the threads have been getting a surprising amount of attention and support."

" **And we thank you, General." The councilman replies.**

" **Will that be all?" Ozpin asks.**

' _Someone seems fed up with this.'_ Ruby thinks.

" **For now." The councilman answers with disapproval in his voice. "But after this festival comes to a close, we are going to have a serious discussion about your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports over the last few weeks have left us somewhat... concerned. I am sure you understand."**

"They can't really do that? Right?" Ruby asks. "They can't get Ozpin kicked out for something that wasn't his fault."

"Probably not." Weiss assures her partner. "Headmasters have a surprising amount of power. And I'm sure Ozpin has plenty of Hunters willing to stand up for him."

 **The faceless councilmen's video feed disappears, leaving Ironwood's video feed alone with Ozpin. They silently stare at each other for a moment.**

" **This is the right move, Ozpin." Ironwood says. "I promise, I will keep our people safe, you have to trust me."**

' _Why am I getting such an ominous vibe from this?'_ Jaune wonders. _'It feels like something bad is in the works, and we're just falling into its trap.'_

 **Ironwood hangs up the video call. Ozpin then turns his chair around to look at the large Atlesian Airship outside his window.**

 **The camera cuts to Ironwood, looking out to Beacon Tower from his Airship. "You brought this on yourself."**

"This makes Atlas's involvement seem like a bad thing." Yang points out. "I don't understand though. How is it not a good thing?"

"I do get worried whenever I look up to see the Atlesian ships." Blake admits. "It's possible that Ozpin is concerned about the worry people feel when they look up to see them."

"That's possible." Weiss agrees. "Ozpin has always been a big advocator for making the people of Vale feel at ease."

 **Ironwood then walks toward a heavily guarded holding cell.**

" **Leave us." Ironwood commands the guards, as the cell door opens to reveal Torchwick, without his signature hat.**

"So this is the interrogation." Ren concludes.

"Time to figure out what Torchwick was willing to admit." Ruby says.

 **The soldiers leave Ironwood alone, so that he can talk to Torchwick. "I've been informed that so far you've refused to co-operate with the authorities."**

"Probably nothing then." Weiss deduces. "It explains why Ironwood hasn't taken any drastic measures since then."

" **I know this might be hard to believe, General, but uh... I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement." Torchwick jokes.**

"Urgh." Blake rolls her eyes. "Even while in a cell, he still annoys me."

" **How about the world's strongest military power?" Ironwood crosses his arm and look smug.**

"You could consider that boasting, but honestly there's no competition for that title." Weiss says.

" **Hmm.. first impressions... not great." Torchwick remarks.**

" **I'm going to give you one chance." Ironwood warns. "Who's really behind all this?"**

" **Isn't it obvious?" Torchwick answers, leading Ironwood to lean his ear toward him to hear his answer. "You're looking at him."**

"There should be some reason for him to not say anything." Yang says. "Is he so scared of Cinder that he's worried she can still get to him?"

"She has a virus in Beacon tower." Ren reminds her. "We can't be sure how much power that grants her."

" **Hm.. Very well then." Ironwood starts walking away.**

" **What's the matter, General?" Torchwick can still be heard. "I thought you wanted to talk."**

"It did seem like a rather short interrogation." Pyrrha says.

" **The council's given me custody over you for as long as I see fit." Ironwood informs. "So you can make yourself comfortable. I can be sure that you'll have plenty of time to… talk."**

"It would seem that Ironwood is playing the waiting game." Sun says. "That might actually work though. Solitary confinement has driven some people insane. In Torchwick's case, he might actually turn out normal."

" **Oh, wonderful." Torchwick descends into his usual maniacal laughter. The camera pans towards him as his holding cell door closes.**

"Erm." Jaune speaks up. "Not wanting to sound pessimistic, but it seems as if he actually wanted to get caught."

"What would that accomplish?" Yang dismisses. "All he's done is limit his options. He just lost!"

"Yeah, but… I dunno." Jaune tries to focus his thoughts. "I've got that feeling again. Like something bad is happening and we don't even know it."

"He's in jail." Weiss states. "All we have to do now is figure out a way to take out Cinder and her group, and from there we should be safe."

' _That sounds right.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But even then. There's definitely a lot we don't know.'_

"Jaune." Pyrrha looks to her partner. "I've trusted you before, and you've led me in the right direction. If you really think we have reason to be worried, then I'll trust you."

"I don't want you to be worried." Jaune says. "I just think we still need to be cautious."

"I think you're both forgetting something." Ruby interrupts the moment. "Even if Jaune's right, we've still got more videos to watch. We can see first hand if there's any reason to be worried."

 **The screen cuts to black and the song ' _Sacrifice'_ plays.**

"So that's it huh." Nora gets up from her seat. "I really want to get some food. So is it okay if I leave now?"

"We still have the post ending scene." Weiss reminds her. "Need I remind you how important that was last time."

"Fine." Nora grumpily goes back to her seat. "But if this ends up being worthless then I'll…" She pauses, trying to figure out what punishment she's able to give. "I'll do something."

 _'I hope for all our sakes that we learn something useful.'_ Ren thinks.

" ** _Close your eyes now time for dreams, death is never what it seems. Did the things you thought you should, all the things they said were good."_**

"The first thing we need to figure out is who's perspective this is from or about." Jaune tells everyone. "Until then, it could really mean anything."

"Not sure how to understand the first line though." Blake says. "I suppose that last part could refer to me. But that could very easily just be coincidence."

" ** _All your faith in ancient ways, leaves you trapped inside a maze."_**

"Faith in ancient ways." Ruby jumps at this connection. "Could that have something to do with how Cinder uses Dust clothing. It's apparently a very old method."

"That's a useful connection." Ren agrees, noting it down.

" ** _Take the lives of those you need, sow the death then reap the seed. Reap the seed."_**

"Sacrificing lives for a greater cause." Sun proposes. "It seems pretty malicious though. The singer definitely thinks the person in question is wrong."

" ** _Born an angel, heaven sent, falls from grace are never elegant."_**

"That probably means it's about a good person who turned bad." Yang says. "So that definitely narrows it down."

"It could easily be a skewed perspective though." Jaune reminds them. "So far all the important songs have been from someones perspective. That person may not always have the same values as us."

" ** _Stars will drop out of the sky, the moon will sadly watch the roses die."_**

"NO!" Yang yells, her anger clear for all to see. "I refuse to let that happen!"

"Y-Yang." Ruby calls with a pleading and pained expression. "W-what if it's not about me." Her eyes start to tear up. "W-what if this is about what happened to mom."

Yang suddenly calms down, her anger turning to sadness. But her own sadness isn't what she really cares about now, so she grabs onto Ruby and holds her close.

" ** _In vain, lost, no gain, but you're not taking me."_**

"It's like before." Ruby mumbles. "The other song said mom died in vain. Did she really?"

Yang doesn't have an answer to this, so instead she tucks Ruby into her hug, as if to protect her from the world.

" ** _You can't have my life, I'm not your sacrifice. You can try, but I'm free, and you won't conquer me."_**

' _This definitely relates sacrificing people for a cause.'_ Ren thinks. _'And if Ruby and Yang's current state is anything to go by. Then it's likely Ozpin the one who's doing it.'_

" ** _I won't crawl, most of all, I won't fall, for you."_**

"Normally I'd assume that line makes it a love song." Sun says. "But that's definitely not the case."

"I believe it may have something to do with Ozpin." Ren says. "It's very possible that he's the one leading the cause that leads to so many deaths. I hope I don't have to explain why."

' _You don't.'_ Weiss thinks, looking over to see that Ruby and Yang have recovered, but only enough to watch. It's doubtful that they will have anything else to add.

" ** _Show them gods and deities, blind and keep the people on their knees."_**

"Ozpin does seem to be the one keeping everyone in the dark." Blake says. "We don't know how far that extends."

" ** _Pierce the sky, escape your fate. The more you try the more you'll just breed hate, and lies."_**

" ** _Truth will rise, revealed by mirrored eyes."_**

"I'd initially guess that the mirror is a reference to me." Weiss says. "But Ruby is the only one here who may have any relevance to eyes." _'Not that we know what that means yet.'_

" ** _What if all the plans you made, were not worth the price they paid?"_**

" ** _Even with the lives you stole, still no closer to your... Goal."_**

"I find it increasingly hard to think this is from the perspective of someone good." Pyrrha says. "It seems almost condescending."

" ** _You can't have my life. I'm not your sacrifice. You can try, but I'm free, and you won't conquer me."_**

" ** _I won't crawl, most of all, I won't fall, for you."_**

"That may have been the most informative song yet." Ren says, looking down at his notes.

"I just wish it had a happier tone." Nora says.

 **Once the song is finished, the screen cuts to Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald meeting discreetly at a rooftop near where The Breach happened.**

"This may be where they go over their new plans." Ruby says, having now put what happened behind her.

"I hope so." Weiss says. "This entire time, that's been the most important thing we need to learn."

" **All in all, I'd call today a success." Cinder declares proudly.**

"N-no…" Ruby speaks meekly. "There's no way. That's not possible. We won."

"It would appear not." Blake says, mind reeling from the revelation that all their hard work was for naught.

"I knew it." Jaune groans. "I thought there was something weird going on."

"But how!" Nora yells. "How did they accomplish anything from this! Are they really just anarchists!?"

"Whatever their goal is, it must have many layers." Ren concludes. "The Breach cannot have directly benefited them, so it must be a step in making one of their later plans easier."

" **Those stupid kids really made a mess of things." Emerald complains.**

"We did something!" Ruby jumps at the confirmation that their efforts had an effect. "They may have won, but we definitely accomplished something!"

" **Yeah." Mercury agrees. "A lot of Faunus didn't make it out the tunnels. You still think the White Fang's gonna listen to us?"**

"That's true." Sun agrees. "There's no way they'd still side with people who failed them so badly."

' _But that may not be true.'_ Blake thinks. _'There is one person they'd probably be willing to do anything for. I just hope he's already left for Mistral.'_

" **No." An onscreen voice is heard, one that is unfamiliar to the group, with one major exception.**

Blakes hopes suddenly shatter. "N-no." She starts breathing so fast, it could almost be considered hyperventilation. "Please, anyone but him."

"Blake?" Yang looks at her partners terrified expression with worry.

" **But they'll listen to me." Adam Taurus steps in to stand alongside the other villains.**

"Adam." Blake clarifies for anyone who can't recall him. "He was the one from my trailer."

 **The screen cuts to black, and the video ends.**

"So now we've got another enemy to deal with." Weiss concludes. "Are you okay with that Blake? There's no doubting that he's working alongside the enemy."

"It's fine." Blake assures everyone. "I already knew he's become a monster. So this isn't too much of a surprise to me. I think I've suspected it for a while now. I just… didn't want it to be true."

"If you're sure." Pyrrha holds a comforting voice. "We'll need you to go into full details on his abilities later. But for now, I think we all deserve a break."

 **Congratulations on reaching this point**

"I was waiting for this to happen." Weiss says, looking directly to the screen. "Will we be getting another reward for completing a volume?"

 **Another bonus video has been added to 'World of Remnant'**

"That's not what we want!" Weiss complains. "Give us a person! Someone useful, like Neptune or Penny."

"It would be nice to have Penny join." Ruby agrees.

 **You will not receive your reward for completing the volume until you have seen all the 'World of Remnant' videos. Thankfully, you now have only one remaining**

"I suppose that's acceptable." Weiss concedes.

 **Due to various complication on my part, the next volume will not be available for a week**

"A week!" Yang yells. "We're going to be stuck in here for a week! With nothing useful to do!"

 **I understand that this means I am forcibly keeping you here without any way to escape other than wait, so as an attempt to make up for that, you may request any new rooms at any time, as long as they only benefit your enjoyment**

"I want a beach!" Nora yells. "One where the sand is orange, and the water is clean enough to drink."

"It said room Nora." Ren points out. "I doubt that could ever count as a room."

"Then how about a room where everything is made of Pancakes?" Nora suggests.

"I would like a room that specialises in maintaining my hair." Yang declares, ignoring Nora's rambling.

…

"Nothing happened." Ruby says. "Did it work?"

"I guess not." Blake concludes.

"If this is all just one big joke, then it's not funny." Weiss declares.

"Why don't we just watch the bonus video." Pyrrha suggests. "If we don't get any reward after that, then we can start complaining."

So they all settle down to watch the bonus video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Jaune in bed, he gets the call from Ruby

JNPR heads to bullhead, notice Vale destruction, decide to help with the fighting

Cinder + Emerald + Mercury notice breach, breach happened to early, probably caused their goal to fail, possible goal: attack Ozpin while on his own

RWBY fights Grimm, JNPR joins, Sun and Neptune join, Atlas army joins

Army in Vale due to Qrow's message

Cinder + Emerald + Mercury arrive, fight Grimm alongside us, purpose to blend in.

Must go over Emerald's fighting style, figure out range of weapon

Zwei joins battle, Port and CFVY join, mystery of Velvet's weapon

Oobleck fights alongside Port

Qrow goes on missions alone, likely gaining info on Cinder's organisation.

Goodwitch joins, fixes breach, battle ends

Mercury and emerald escort Torchwick to authorities, trick to gain trust(?)

Why hasn't Torchwick ratted on Cinder?

RWBY sitting in retrospect of events

My notes are not useless!

RWBY goes to bed

Headmaster has online meeting with councilmembers and Ironwood.

Councilmembers appoint Ironwood as head of security for Vytal festival

Unnatural spike in distrust online

Councilmembers may want to remove Ozpin from his position

Ozpin worried that Atlas involvement causes tensions(?)

Ironwood interrogates Torchwick, Torchwick claims to me mastermind for some reason

Torchwick may be scared, we don't know full extent of virus

Present Jaune thinks things are worse than we assume

New song:

May refer slightly to Blake (very unlikely)

Ancient ways – Cinders clothing

Sacrificing lives for a greater cause

About a good person who turned bad (possibility of skewed perspective)

Clear reference to roses dying, may refer to Ruby's mother

Strong chance that song is about Ozpin, from villains perspective

Song has strong theme of defiance

Reference to keeping secrets – Ozpin?

Mirrored eyes, possibility of Weiss, more likely Ruby

Perspective almost certainly bad persons

Post ending:

Cinder + Emerald + Mercury on a rooftop

Cinder declares that Breach was a success

Plan must have many layers

Our actions did have some effect, now White Fang less likely to follow them

Adam (from Blake trailer) is sided with Cinder

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So yeah, I changed the post credits scene. I'm slightly worried that this makes the song _'Sacrifice'_ seem out of place, but it's the only way I could think of to have a post credits scene remain the norm without showing a non-canon scene.**

 **My thoughts on V6C4: Salem is terrifying, I admit to hiding behind furniture when she got angry.**

 **Poll results: Total voters: 102**

 **Salem reveal: 66, 22%**

 **Pyrrha dies (You monster): 52, 18%**

 **Silver eyes: 42, 14%**

 **Winter and Qrow entering story: 31, 10%**

 **Truth of maidens revealed: 29, 10%**

 **Yang looses arm (You monster): 23, 8%**

 **Penny's death (You monster): 17, 6%**

 **Cinder's speech/plan revealed: 10, 3%**

 **Mercury's 'Injury': 9, 3%**

 **Team RWBY divided: 8, 3%**

 **Grimm Dragon: 5, 2%**

 **Miscellaneous tournament matches: 2, 1%**

 **Wasted votes (caused by people who didn't use all three of their votes): 12**

 **I will be keeping this poll up for a long time, simply because there's no reason to take it down until I start V3**

 **If you could request any type of room, what would it be?**

 **I'm going to be looking back at my entire fic and fixing any errors I notice. If you have a suggestion then please tell me, and it would also be great if you tell me any spelling errors or grammar that hurts the flow of the story.**

 **So yeah, going on a break now. I may post the intermission chapters though and even create a one shot compilation story based around this premise, so now there's finally an incentive to follow/favourite me as an author.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	32. V2: WoR4: Aura

**Merry Christmas (Or anything else you celebrate)**

 **Review Notes:**

 **For those who didn't know, the original V2 post credits scene is non-canon. So I changed things around to what I think fits best.**

 **None of the rooms they ask for can have a real effect on making them stronger, however they can train normally and get stronger that way. Their bodies don't age in this space though, otherwise people might notice a significant change once they leave. (I probably won't ever mention this to them in the fic)**

 **I am rethinking my previous decision to never have Qrow join them. However if he does appear, it will probably be at the start of V6 at the earliest.**

 **Saying things in the reviews doesn't count as voting, you have to go to my profile.**

 **I really couldn't add the 'dream sequence' because it would be misleading.**

 **The village JNPR was meant to visit wasn't Ren's hometown, however it is fair to believe he has an obsession with preventing a repeat of what happened to him.**

 **Sun and Neptune did help during The Breach (I assume), it just wasn't shown on screen.**

 **There's two WoR videos between the Volumes, but only one of them is associated with V2 (This one). The other will be introduced at some other point before I start V3.**

 **The host is not the God of Light in my mind. However, if the series ends with that being possible then I may have it turn out like that. (Probably not) Some reviewers have called it an ROB (Random Omnipotent Being), but I will say that it's not omnipotent, otherwise it would help the group much more directly.**

 **Regarding Oscar/Ruby shipping: I'm not a fan of it, but I will follow along with whatever the show does. Any moments between them is meant to just be Ruby being nice enough to support someone who's in an unusual situation.**

 **Last chapter I decided to add the little bit about how conspiracy theories of Atlas invading Vale are more popular than they should be. I'll confirm that this is Cinder preparing the public so they feel more fear in that pivotal moment.**

 **I don't think _Sacrifice_ is from Salem's perspective. There are some things that match up, but too much of it would be completely contradictory. This perspective was spread by MurderofBird's AMV, and he has admitted that he mainly did it as a fun thing rather than a serious theory.**

 **When characters die in the show they don't leave the viewing. There shouldn't be any reason for anyone to leave the viewing.**

 **I can confirm they will see V6C3 without using a question. But I'm not yet sure If they'll end up using the questions anyway.**

 **The host will give them a small warning about V3. More of an apology really.**

 **I don't think Ren's oblivious to Nora's feelings, but I doubt it's something he want' to bring up now, and it will be better to address it during a later volume.**

 **When the show is over I may write a story about what they do when they get back, but that decision is way down the line, and requires more creativity than I can currently muster.**

 **It's already in the description that this takes place between V2 and V3.**

 **The SSSN vs JNPR fight will be non-canon to this story and only for the purpose of me testing my ability to write an original fight scene.**

 **No plans to add Maria Calavera currently.**

 **Need to add more weapon noises. Got it. Thanks.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Kvothe of Many Talents. Thank you so much for going through every chapter and pointing out mistakes and things that could have been better. I have currently gotten up to V1C7, but that's taking into account a long span of procrastinating. You've missed a few mistakes, but even just telling me were I missed a question mark is very helpful.**

* * *

 **Volume 2: World of Remnant 4: Aura**

"We just have to get through this, then we get another reward right?" Yang confirms with the others.

"It seems like it." Weiss agrees. "However we didn't get the other reward, so we can't be sure."

" **Huntsmen and Huntresses are widely regarded as the world's greatest warriors." A female silhouette wielding a giant scythe and wearing a red cape/hood stands proudly at the centre of the screen.**

"It's me!" Ruby points to the screen excitedly. "It's making a point of talking about me!"

"Well… Congrats." Jaune applauds her.

"But why you?" Weiss wonders. "No offence, but you haven't taken your licence exam yet. So why wouldn't it show an official Huntress instead?"

"Maybe it's to do with how it shows the future?" Ruby says hopefully. "This could be from a time where I've graduated."

"We can't be too sure about that." Ren says. "From what I can tell, the images aren't made by the person who's saying all these things."

" **While skilled in a wide variety of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, these champions are also masters of a much greater power." Another figure with a yellow tail jumps in next to Ruby, followed by another with a pink streak of hair fading in.**

"Looks like we've got representation for all our teams." Sun points out. "Unless someone's willing to claim that isn't me."

' _But why is Ren the one representing team JNPR?'_ Jaune thinks. _'Ruby and Sun are team leaders, so am I just not considered worthy of this?'_

" **Aura." A red outline glows around Ruby, a yellow one around Sun, and a pink one around Ren.**

"I suppose this is why Ren's there instead of Jaune." Pyrrha says, noticing her partners expression. "Ren was the one to first visibly use Aura, so he's the one used to demonstrate it in this video."

"Y-yeah." Jaune agrees. _'That makes a lot of sense actually. I guess I was just being pessimistic.'_

" **Aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, whether they are a meagre shop-keep or a renowned knight." A blacksmith replaces the previous figures, crafting a sword that he then hands to another person.**

"Hold on!" Blake interrupts. "Did we just get confirmation that Grimm can't be considered living beings?"

"Seems like it." Yang responds. "We were already pretty sure about that though."

"But now we have confirmation." Weiss says. "Or at least… As good confirmation as any of these videos are."

" **However, what sets true warriors apart from all others is their ability to amplify and control their Aura." The man now with a sword raises it high and lets his Aura surround himself and his weapon.**

"I really wouldn't have stood a chance at Beacon without Pyrrha unlocking my Aura, would I?" Jaune says.

"You wouldn't." Nora responds bluntly. "But I doubt anyone here could do much without Aura."

" **Aura is primarily used as a defensive mechanism. Coating the wielder in a protective force field, it can protect a combatant from what would normally be a fatal blow." A red figure and a blue figure are fighting. The blue one deals a heavy blow, but the red one has his aura up and quickly unleashes a counterattack.**

"It can also heal injuries." Ren adds. "Though that's very inefficient compared to blocking the blows in the first place."

" **It does not, however, make the user invincible. As they receive more and more damage, their Aura reserve will deplete. If this happens, all the fighter will be left with is his resolve." The blue man disappears, and the red mans Aura fades as Beowolves attack him.**

"Sometimes you have to keep on fighting until after your Aura has been depleted." Pyrrha says. "I've heard stories about people defeating Grimm despite loosing all their Aura in the first part of the fight."

"That's very risky." Blake points out. "There's far more cases of people dying while attempting that, but those stories never get told."

" **However, when a fight turns gruesome, a warrior can also rely on their Aura in a different manner." As the Grimm surround him, the man jumps in the air like a beam of light, pushing the monsters away from him.**

"What was that?" Ruby tilts her head.

"A Semblance obviously." Weiss says. "But beyond that, I have no idea. I think it's just supposed to be an example."

"' **Semblance' is a term used to describe the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. For some this could be the ability to control objects with telekinesis." A purple figure with a riding crop makes rubble float in the air in a familiar fashion.**

"It's Goodwitch." Sun points to the screen. "Does that mean she knows the mysterious voice somehow?"

"We can't be sure." Pyrrha says. "My Semblance could also be described that way, but the exact details are different."

"That reminds me." Weiss turns to Pyrrha. "Could Goodwitch's Semblance be considered a superior version of yours? No offence."

"None taken." Pyrrha replies. "I think the advantage of my Semblance is how it's not obvious when I'm using it. Also, she has had far more time to perfect hers."

"It's extremely rare for one Semblance to be superior to another." Ren says. "And even then, it's argued that it's only due to the users lack of imagination."

" **For others it could mean superhuman strength." A female yellow figure with a burning aura breaks a massive rock.**

"That's me!" Yang bumps he fist.

" **The power associated with a wielder's Semblance is completely unique." A black figure with a bow creates an identical clone, but the clone is white instead.**

' _Except in my family.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Though perhaps there are some small differences between us. It would explain how I'm unable to summon like my sister.'_

" **With enough training and focus, a user's Aura can turn them into something…" A bluish white figure creates ice, the red hooded girl bursts into rose petals.**

"That's all of team RWBY accounted for." Jaune says.

"Are we not getting the rest of us?" Ruby wonders.

"I doubt it." Jaune says. "From what I can tell, you four are the main characters. The rest of us are just along for the ride."

"You seem to have a big role though." Yang points out. "There's been entire episodes dedicated to your growth into a proper Huntsman."

"I guess." Jaune rubs the back of his head. _'I can't really deny that.'_

"… **much more than just a man." Ozpin stands with his cane, sipping his drink and doing no obvious feats. The video ends.**

"Woa-woa-woa." Nora looks to the screen sceptically. "What does that mean?"

"It means there's something… special about Ozpin." Ren says. "Something that makes him different from the rest of us. Probably more powerful, and likely wiser."

"How could we have not heard something about that?!" Weiss exclaims. "There's got to be some kind of document about this. Or at least something."

"My guess is that Ozpin's purposely hiding the truth from the public." Blake says. "We already know about him hiding things from people, like his full intentions when sending us to Mountain Glenn."

"It's a conspiracy?!" Sun yells. "I did not come here expecting to get involved in some kind of conspiracy!"

"You didn't expect to come here in the first place." Ruby points out.

"Fair enough." Sun admits.

 **Congratulations on watching all of the current 'World of Remnant' videos**

"And here it is again." Weiss says. "Do we get another person joining us now?"

 **A new person has been added somewhere. It is up to you to find this person**

"Treasure Hunt!" Nora cheers.

 **The next Volume will be available in slightly less than a week, however some bonus materials may be available before this point**

"That's nice to know." Pyrrha says.

 **Thank you for your understanding, and good luck**

' _That's slightly concerning.'_ Ren thinks. _'Is there some reason we're going to need luck?'_

"I'm going to go look for the new person!" Nora proudly declares, leaving out the door in a mad rush.

"So…" Jaune turns his head to look between everyone left. "…should we check our rooms, or-"

"I FOUND SOMETHING!" Nora's voice echoes from the hallway.

"I guess we follow Nora." Ruby says, getting up to leave the room, with everyone following after her.

* * *

Main corridor

Nora stares at three different doors, narrowing her eyes at one in particular.

"Nora!" Ruby jogs up to the girl. "What did you find?"

"These doors." She points to them. "They weren't here before."

"You're right." Weiss agrees, walking up to them with the others beside her. "I remember there being only-"

"AND!" Nora interrupts. "That one there." She points to a door with a peculiar design. "It smells like pancakes."

"A bakery?" Pyrrha guesses.

"No, the door itself smells like pancakes." Nora says. "And it looks like a pancake." She the prods it. "It even feels like a pancakes."

"How can you tell so quickly?" Ruby asks.

"Experience." Nora replies.

"Let's just get this over with." Sun says, stepping forward to open the door.

"Wait!" Weiss yells, worried this may be some kind of trap.

But it's too late, Sun has already opened the door.

Within they see a rather ordinary room. Seats, table, shelves, and other ordinary things that you could find in any other place.

With the exception of the fact that everything is made out of pancakes.

"We actually got it." Weiss mutters. "How is this even possible."

Nora looks on with stars in her eyes, then lunges forward to get a closer look.

However, Ren grabs her by the shoulder before she can enter. "You can investigate this room later. Right now we need to check the other rooms."

With a half-hearted scowl, Nora agrees. So they head over to another door.

This door is rather basic, with no outstanding features other than a logo resembling a certain blonds hair.

"This is my room." Yang declares, reaching out for the handle. "I guess this means we got our requests granted.

Opening the door, they don't find anything particularly worth of note. Yang's eyes widen at all the hair cosmetics and other hair related devices, but other than that, nothing of particular importance.

And so Ruby walks up to the final door. This one has the image of a sandy beach painted on the front.

"Are we actually getting Nora's beach?" Blake wonders.

"Only one way to find out." Ruby says, opening the door.

* * *

?

He was confused when he woke up. Opening his eyes to a bright blue sky.

But upon further inspection, he wasn't actually looking at the sky. Instead it was just a ceiling painted to look like the sky, yet light still shined through somehow.

Getting up from his back, he decided to look around. Taking in the scenery of a beach that was fully enclosed in a very large room. The sand though… didn't seem natural. It acted like sand, and even felt like sand, but it was coloured an unnaturally bright orange. The same colour as his suspenders.

"I've gotta be dreaming." He says, pinching himself on the cheek. But this doesn't awake him.

He notices a door on the side of the room, so he gets up to try and leave. But before he can…

"Who are you?" A girl slightly older than him, wearing a red cape, opens the door from the other side.

"O-Oscar." He replies almost instinctively. "Oscar Pine."

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Subject: Aura

Images feature people in the viewing

Confirmation (?) that Grim don't count as living

Also involves mention about Semblances

All members of RWBY featured, videos seem relevant to them more than the rest of us

Ozpin is more than just a man?

More reason to suspect Ozpin is keeping secrets

Ozpin is part of a conspiracy, probably benign in nature

New addition somewhere in this space

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Most recent chapter I've seen: V6C8**

 **Thoughts on V6C5: Mostly build-up, glad to see Neo make a return.**

 **Thoughts on V6C6: Most terrifying Grimm so far.**

 **Thoughts on V6C7: Glad to see representation of a lesbian couple without anyone actively drawing attention to it. (It seems normal rather than an exception)**

 **Thoughts on V6C8: Think it's good that discrimination against Faunus was shown in a very real way. Now we can stop talking about how the Faunus Rights movement is unnecessary.**

 **So it's been a while since the last update. But less than a month, so I am keeping with the rule I set from the beginning.**

 **Justifying adding Oscar now: I think it's best if they are given some time to actually bond with Oscar before the reveal about how he fits into the story happens.**

 **V6C8 revealed some information that may interfere with Plan Silver. I will try to work around the complication, but any excuse I use seems kinda weak.**

 **Not sure what the next chapter will be. Probably an intermission where they also get to hear a certain song in the meantime. But I may also include the WoR: Vytal Festival.**

 **If anyone wants to be a beta reader for my chapters, PM me. I don't know how exactly the beta process works though.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	33. V2-3: Intermission

**Review Notes:**

 **Good ideas to fix plan silver. I think I have a general idea of what I'll do now.**

 **Explanation of how training in the space works: They become physically stronger like normal when they train, but they cannot request a room that will boost the effects of training or benefit them in any other roundabout way. The requested rooms are just so they feel less trapped while they are there.**

 **The room Sun came in still has plenty of spare beds. More that the amount of new people that will be added.**

 **Current thoughts on Ozpin: While I don't like the fact that he lied, I also understand it. Most people would simply give up when faced with the fact that the enemy is unbeatable, but that doesn't mean there isn't worth in trying. At the very least, Ozpins efforts have improved the livelihood of the common people, and he's doing what he can to prevent Salem's vision for the world from coming to be. (still no idea what Salem's ideal world would be like though)**

 **Volume 5 had many problems, but it shouldn't be hard to transfer the events to words without mentioning how stupid some of it looked. Ironically, the fight scenes of V5 should be easier make reactions to, because the fights are constantly interrupted by someone talking or a new development.**

 **I set this between V2 and 3 because they all had to be friends, and it had to be before the fall. That means is has to be at V1-2 or V2-3. I chose the latter since I didn't want to rob Jaune and Pyrrha of the events during the dance, and just showing it to them wouldn't make up for the development Jaune went through as a person.**

 **My plans for Oscar post viewing are still in the works. I don't know if I want him to merge with Ozpin since we really need the context of how the show ends before making that decision.**

 **I believe that homosexuality should be well represented in media, but the media shouldn't bring up how homosexuality is different from the norm since that can make people feel like it's pushing an agenda, rather that simply showing it since it's a real thing. A good end result would be if it's dealt with similarly to left handedness. Plenty of people in media are left handed, but they don't seem weird since no-one bothers to bring it up.**

 **If mobile users what to take part in a poll then they should scroll down and use the "Desktop Mode" setting. Is there anyone this won't work for?**

 **Adding Oscar now was a long calculated move. I have no regrets.**

 **I actually sorta regret the pancake room thing. That moment felt a bit too much like a crack fic, and I don't want this story to be anything like that. I hate those kind of stories.**

 **I won't be telling them how Oscar becomes relevant. They'll have to find out for themselves.**

 **I believe Brunswick Farms has already been destroyed. Not sure since the only measure of time is the state of the corpses, and I don't know enough about dead bodies to tell how long they've been dead.**

 **Characters won't be added to the cover picture, that would be spoilers for new readers.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Agent-G. They will probably spend more time thinking about the videos afterwards once we reach V4.**

* * *

Weiss resists the urge to narrow her eyes at the new addition to the viewing, as the boy in question reads through the note they originally found.

' _Is this some kind of joke?'_ She thinks, _'Who even is this person? And why was he invited to the viewing?'_

' _Could he be some kind of spy? An agent working under Cinder, with the intention of ruining their advantage?'_ She quickly dismisses this possibility though. It's unlikely for someone so young to be involved like that. And even less likely for them to be able to get past the host.

Oscar is having an even harder time figuring things out. No matter how many times he reads the note, the words, and meaning behind them doesn't change. "I don't understand."

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions." Ren say. "But we were just as confused when we first arrived."

"No." Oscar refutes. "I-I think get the general idea." He stumbles through his words, cautions to make a fool of himself when it seems as if his every action is being judged. "But why is this happening to me? I'm just a…"

"You're nobody." Weiss interrupts. "You don't have any relation to the events we have been watching, and nothing about the way you described yourself leads me to believe you will ever get involved."

"Weiss!" Ruby scolds her partner.

"N-no, she's right." Oscar agrees. _'If this is really real. Then why am I here? I've always wanted to make a difference somehow. To be more than just a farmhand. But this is insane.'_

"How about I watch the videos with you?" Ruby offers. "We need you to catch up somehow."

"I'll watch them too." Weiss declares. "I think it best that go over everything we already know." _'Also, I refuse to leave Ruby alone with this unknown variable.'_

* * *

 **Trailers Red, White, Black, Yellow**

"Erm." Oscar had been so nervous through the viewing, he hadn't said a single word. "So this is about you two, Ruby's sister, and the White Fang girl?"

"Ex-White Fang." Weiss firmly states. "And the other five you saw during your 'interrogation' are also involved."

"R-right." Oscar nods his head. "And you're all Huntsmen and Huntresses?"

"In training." Ruby admits. "What about you? Any plans for something like that."

"Sorta." Oscar reveals. "I can't say the idea hasn't appealed to me. But I haven't taken any of the necessary steps. And I live too far away from any combat school for it to really be an option."

' _But you do want to be a Huntsman it seems.'_ Weiss considers this. _'He could make an appearance in the distant future. Perhaps he becomes so important, our host decided to bring him in now?'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 1**

 **"Legends. Stories scattered through time."**

For the shortest moment, Oscar thinks he feels a cold chill running down his spine. "Who is that?" He asks, almost fearful of the answer.

"We don't know." Ruby says. "We think it might be a historic figure of some kind. But some other things make us think she must be more recent."

' _I don't like this mystery person.'_ Oscar decides. Something about the voice just unnerves him.

* * *

As he watches Ruby fight off the robbers (one she identifies as Torchwick), Oscars doubts about why he's there start to increase. _'What good can I do against any of this? Me being here must be some kind of mistake.'_

* * *

 **"Ruby Rose." Ozpin leans in to look at the girls face. "You... have silver eyes."**

"And he's…?" Oscar asks.

"Ozpin." Weiss replies. "He's headmaster at Beacon, and a prodigy Huntsman."

"Huh." Oscar responds. _'This is feeling more and more like I'm watching a story, rather than something that actually happened.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapters 2,3,4,5**

'I guess this is what it takes to be considered a Hunter.' Oscar thinks. 'I have about three years until I'm old enough to apply for an academy normally, so it's not impossible that I could become a Huntsman.' "How long have the two of you been training?"

"I've been training since a was around ten years old." Weiss declares proudly.

"But it's not that strange for people to start training much later." Ruby interrupts, with encouragement emanating from her voice. "Most people start around your age, and Jaune started much later, but he's still able to fight alongside us. And our teams are the top two of our year, so it's not fait to use us as a baseline."

' _Perhaps mentioning Jaune wasn't the best idea.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Given what we know is revealed in a couple of chapters.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 6**

"Err…" Oscar turns to Ruby. "Is Weiss always so…"

"She's improved." Ruby says. "I think it just took some time for her to warm up to us. Also, could you please not judge her for chapter nine until you've seen the one after it."

"Please don't remind me." Weiss hangs her head. "It was bad enough when it was only our friends watching."

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 7**

When Oscar finds out about how Jaune forged his documents, it strangely doesn't bother him. In fact, it actually gives him hope. "Jaune is still training at Beacon, right?"

"He is." Ruby nods her head. "And he's really improved."

"Even I will admit that he's now skilled enough to barely deserve a place at the Academy." Weiss says.

' _So if I start training now, I can probably earn a place at an Academy. But only if I put in every effort.'_ Oscar thinks.

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 8**

' _So Jaune has Pyrrha training him.'_ Oscar thinks. _'Perhaps if I got training from someone, it would really help.'_ He turns to Ruby and opens his mouth. But then he closes it when he realises something. _'Everyone else here is probably going through a really tough time. It would be wrong for me to add to their troubles by asking them to help me. I should probably wait until I know everyone better at least.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Chapter 9**

' _I really shouldn't say anything at this point.'_ Oscar thinks. _'Weiss already seems as if she's about to do something rash.'_ He considers the video for a moment. _'I see why Ruby told me not to judge her now. Something must happen next chapter to redeem her.'_

* * *

 **Volume 1: Final Chapter**

As they watch Blake's explanation on her backstory, Oscar can't help but think about the Faunus. _'They've always seemed pretty much the same as humans to me, granted there weren't many around where I live. But I sorta understand Blake's desire to fight for equal treatment. A few people in the nearby village would always have something bad to say about how the Faunus are 'Freaks of nature' or 'demi-Grimm', and I always felt like arguing against them.'_

* * *

 ** _Wings_** **starts playing.**

"That's the end of the first chapter right?" Oscar asks.

Weiss hides a small smirk. "Mostly. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, how many volumes are there?"

"Two so far." Ruby replies. "But we can't watch the next one until you've seen all the videos."

"And have you seen any future events?" _'Sorta hard to believe that's even possible.'_

"Not yet." Weiss responds. "However, I suspect it won't be long until we do."

"Okay. So why do you think I…"

 **"How very disappointing, Roman." A female voice is heard from behind the criminal.**

"Wha…!" Oscar looks back to the screen, startled by the sudden interruption. But he quiets down in order to watch the video.

* * *

"I feel like I'm missing something." Oscar says. "Are those people important somehow?"

"They are our main enemies." Weiss says. "And the apparent source of all our problems."

"You should learn more in the next volume." Weiss says. "Do you want to continue, or should we take a break."

"I don't really want to hold you all back." Oscar says.

"You're not." Ruby asserts. "Even if we watch them all now. We also have to wait at least a week until the next volume is available."

"And it's been a long day for us. So I would like to wait until tomorrow to continue." Weiss says.

"Okay then." Oscar nods.

* * *

"So how much did you see?" Sun asks, as he helps Oscar get settled in the spare room he arrived in.

"We got to the end of the first volume." Oscar replies.

"That means you got to see me!" Sun grins.

Oscar nods, not making eye contact.

"Something wrong kid?" Sun asks.

"I just.." Oscar sits down on the bed he's claimed. "It's sorta… weird. Arriving late to this. Even the fact that I'm here at all."

"I guess I understand." Sun shrugs. "I didn't get here until they finished the first volume."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I may be friends with everyone here, but I was separated from my teammates, so it's hard not to feel like I don't belong."

"At least you're friends with everyone." Oscar grumbles.

"No need to worry there." Sun assures. "Unless you plan on working with Cinder, I'm sure they'll all accept your inclusion withy time. These guys cold make friends with pretty much anyone."

Oscar doesn't answer, but he does smile. _'They do all seem like good people.'_

* * *

The next day

It was a rather uneventful morning. After a short time together having breakfast, and getting to know Oscar some more, they decided to go about their days. Ruby volunteered to show watch the rest of the viewing with him, and Weiss once again decided not to leave her alone with him. But this time less out of scepticism of Oscar, and instead simply to keep them company.

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 1**

Oscar knew there was a good chance of the videos showing extreme violence or horrific situations. He was worrying about it through the night. But even still, he would have appreciated some warning about what he was about to see.

 **Tukson's lifeless body lays in the centre of a bloodied floor, with what remains of his head scattered around him.**

This was too much for the poor boy. He's lived his entire life outside the kingdoms, so violent attacks from Grimm are to be expected. But for some reason, just knowing that this wasn't caused by Grimm. Knowing that it was caused by people who could walk away casually without a care. That made it far worse.

' _How could I forget.'_ Ruby berates herself. _'I should have realised this was coming and given some kind of warning. It wouldn't have been condescending to ask him not to watch this part. I would have been glad if Yang could have done that for me.'_ She looks to the younger boy, who is breathing heavily and doing his best to hold in all the terrified emotions he's clearly feeling. "It's okay." She comforts him. "We didn't react well to it either. Just let it all out."

Her words are enough to make him do so. But instead of a scream, or running away, Oscar just lets out a long breath. _'This is what I've gotten myself into. I never asked for this, and this all seems crazy. But somehow, knowing how bad these videos are, it just makes me certain that I need to help somehow. I must have been chosen for a reason. There must be some way I can help. And if lives are at risk, it never would have been a choice, even if I had the right to decide.'_

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 2**

"Wait.. so they're…?" Oscar asks.

"For the last few months, those three have been living on the Beacon campus. Pretending to be our friends, while secretly sabotaging us somehow." Weiss answers.

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"We didn't know what they were doing until we saw these videos." Ruby explains.

' _That may give us an advantage.'_ Oscar thinks. _'But what kind of sabotage were they doing?'_

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 3**

"A robot." Oscar says in disbelief. "You're friends, with a robot."

"Ruby is." Weiss says. "The rest of us don't spend that much time with her."

"I-I… After everything I've been through recently, I guess I can accept it as true." Oscar says. _'This just means my view of the world is too narrow. I've never lived in particularly developed areas, so it makes sense that I'd underestimate the advancements in technology.'_

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 4,5,6,7**

"And this is our biggest problem." Weiss declares. "The fact that the tower has been hacked, and we don't know how much control that gives our enemies."

"I can't help you there." Oscar says. "I don't even live on the same continent."

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 8,9,10**

' _This seems way to personal for me to be watching.'_ Oscar thinks. _'They just laid out all their insecurities, not knowing it would mean I would find out about them. I should do whatever I can to not take advantage of this. If I can help them through it, that would be ideal, but what can I do. "Ignoring the fact that they are all better fighters than me. They also have more life experience than me, so it wouldn't make much sense for me to give them advice, and it could even make things worse.'_

* * *

 **Volume 2: Chapter 11, Final Chapter**

"So you won?" Oscar asks. "You foiled their plans, forcing them to delay whatever goal they have."

"If only." Weiss lets out a sigh.

"We thought the same way as you." Ruby elaborates. "But the post ending scene…"

 **"All in all, I'd call today a success." Cinder declares proudly.**

Ruby practically winces at these words. They act as a dark reminder that their efforts barely amounted to anything.

' _I get that there's still a problem.'_ Oscar thinks. _'But this still all feels so surreal. Like it can't really be happening. I guess that just means it will take some time for it all to sink in.'_

"And with that, we are done." Weiss says. "We also have some bonus videos available to us. I suggest to get yourself familiar with them in your own time. We have training to do." She gets up and practically drags Ruby towards the door.

"Good luck!" Ruby yells as she departs.

"Thanks." Oscar waves them goodbye. _'Just what kind of situation have I gotten myself into?'_

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

About new person Oscar:

A farmhand

Lives in Anima

Very little fighting experience

13 years old

Has no relation to anyone we know in any way

* * *

 **A/N**

 **WARNING: This chapter is meant to be a birthday present to me and all my readers. That means if it's not your birthday, don't read any of the above text. If you have already read this chapter, please bash yourself on the head until you're unable to recall any of the story. For each person who breaks this rule, I will delay the next chapter by 3.724 picoseconds.**

 **This chapter is unfinished in my opinion. That means if you have suggestions for what else I should include, there is still plenty of time. Also, tell me if you think Oscar is acting OOC. I have to use a lot of guesswork on what his raw personality is.**

 **Got myself a beta reader. Many thanks to KingofWhispers.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	34. V3: WoR1: Vytal Festival Tournament

**Review Notes:**

 **I doubt the events of After the Fall is going to be important enough to convince me to add anyone form team CFVY, the main reason for that is that I need more information on their personalities to add them, and they won't have a unique enough perspective.**

 **I wanted to add an Oscar and Jaune scene last chapter, but I couldn't figure out where to fit it in.**

 **I personally believe that RWBY will be more enjoyable if us fans consider Jin's words to mean that Salem can't be beaten at all. May be wrong, but it seems like the best way to interpret it to me.**

 **It is implied that if Salem's body gets destroyed then she reforms somewhere else. I highly doubt cutting off her head would work.**

 **Lord Destroyer has repeatedly told me not to do a Ruby/Oscar pairing. I highly doubt that pairing will happen in cannon so there's no need to worry. Even if it does happen, they are younger in this fic so would not have them actually be together in the story.**

 **Very sorry about this, but I don't have a backlog of chapters to release. I was planning on it, but I'm not good at writing when I feel I don't need to.**

 **Any pairings I do make will probably not be blatant during the actual reaction moments.**

 **Ren's notes have been added to previous chapter.**

 **I'm not sure about Oscars age at this point in time, but I don't think it's outrageous to believe he's 14 both now and when he gets introduced**

 **Very well, Burnswick farm hasn't been destroyed yet. (unless we learn something contrary to that)**

 **Training bots were throwaway. Assume they disappear as soon as they're defeated.**

 **Pyrrha was in a highly emotional state, sorry if her apology didn't cover everything.**

 **I'm not digging into the Qrow is Ruby's father theories. If it turn out to be wrong, then it's not something I want speculated in my story at all.**

 **Penny will no be joining, could people just give up on trying to convince me she should.**

 **I seriously hope I'll be able to do future reactions properly, rather than just saying how they are shocked or scared.**

 **I use the word Hunters because it's easier that saying Huntsmen and Huntresses. I will try to use the latter when only one gender is involved.**

 **I have a backup in case of emergency.**

 **I'm not adding Neo.**

 **Pyrrha's death and silver eyes count separately on the poll because…**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Agent-G. I have taken your advice and added an Oscar and Sun scene in the middle of the last chapter. I advise everyone to go back and read it.**

* * *

"Front foot forward."

Jaune groans internally, but still moves his foot forwards.

"Good." Pyrrha nods her head while bringing her shield up. "Now on my mark…"

"GUYS!" Nora's voice echo's across the room.

"What is it!?" Jaune yells back. Annoyed by the sudden interruption.

"Ren found something! Meet him in the viewing room!" Nora then dashes onto the next room, intent of finding everyone else.

"I suppose this means we can take a break from training." Pyrrha says

* * *

In the viewing room

"So what's this about?" Weiss asks, having been waiting for the others to arrive for quite some time.

"Well…" Ren picks up the remote and navigates the menu. "…I was going to see if I could figure anything out about the song that caused the distortion, but while doing so I found this." The screen lingers on a sub menu for soundtracks, with available options of Volume 1, Volume 2, or Volume 3.

"We can already listen to the songs?" Sun questions.

"Huh… so it's already been a week." Yang says.

"It hasn't." Blake corrects. "We should be getting the next volume some time tomorrow."

"What are we waiting for?" Ruby sits down, her arms shaking excitedly. "Let's listen to it."

Seeing no reason not to, everyone sits down in their normal place. But a problem arises.

"Where do I sit?" Oscar asks, seeing that there's no empty spaces, and budging between people would be too much of a tight fit.

"Just sit on an armrest." Sun responds, from his position next to Blake.

"Y-yeah, but that seems kinda…"

Almost as if in response to Oscars worries, a new chair materializes.

"That's not fair!" Sun complains. "How come I didn't get my own seat?"

"You seem more comfortable on that armrest than you would be sitting normally." Blake points out.

"Fair enough." Sun admits. "You win this time mysterious entity that brought us here and seems to have the ability to see the future. But next time…"

Ignoring Sun's rambling, Ren selects the Volume 3 soundtrack. But only one option appears.

"Mirror Mirror part II?" Ruby asks the question on everyone's mind. "Did you make some sorta sequel song Weiss?"

"I didn't." Weiss contemplates this strange development. "I've considered it. Quite a few times actually. But I've never actually gotten around to it."

"So it's from the future?" Nora proposes.

"Only if you assume every song is real in some way." Jaune says. "It could still be from the future, but we can't take that for certain."

"No point in waiting." Nora declares. "Let's listen!"

With that, Ren starts the song.

" _ **Who am I to complain? My life's been spared so much pain."**_

"I'm guessing there's no problem figuring out who's perspective this is." Nora says.

Weiss sighs. "This will probably contain some of my more personal feelings, so I ask that everyone treats it with the upmost respect."

"We will." Ruby smiles supportively. "If you want us to leave now, that's fine."

"We probably shouldn't hide anything we learn from these videos." Weiss replies. "So even though this song may not contain any important information, it's best we don't set a precedent for hiding things."

' _I'm not hiding anything.'_ Yang thinks. _'I'm just… waiting for the right time.'_

" _ **Born with all that I need. My comforts all guaranteed"**_

"That certainly sounds like the Schnee lifestyle." Sun comments. "Though I'm guessing there's more to it?"

"There is." Weiss replies. "Just keep listening."

"I thought you hadn't written this song." Blake says.

"That doesn't mean I don't have a good idea of what it's about." Weiss says.

" _ **So what's the problem, what's keeping me."**_

" _ **From moving forward, it's hard to see"**_

' _Is this about my troubles in choosing to leave Atlas?'_ Weiss wonders. _'It would make sense.'_

" _ **I should be free now, I should be fine."**_

" _ **But the life I fought for, still isn't mine."**_

"This is probably about how I left Atlas." Weiss says, remembering her words on not hiding things. "I'm sure you can come to your own conclusions on what it means."

' _Does Weiss not feel like she's going down the path she wants to?_ ' Ruby wonders. _'No. It's more like she thinks she's being held back.'_

" _ **Some believe in fairy stories, and the ghosts that they can't see."**_

" _ **I know that I could do so much, if I could just believe in me."**_

' _Even I'm not entirely sure what that first part means.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Possibly how I look up to Ruby's willingness to do what she thinks is right, or how she doesn't let anything stop her from doing so.'_

" _ **Mirror mirror, Tell me something."**_

" _ **Can I stop my fall?"**_

"Fall." Ren latches onto that word. "Could that relate to Cinder somehow?"

"Probably not." Weiss replies. "It's a very useful word that can easily be used in a variety of situations. But I will admit that the correlation is worrying."

" _ **Years of scorn will leave you cold, 'Forget your dreams do what you're told'."**_

"Has anyone actually said that to you?" Blake asks.

"Not directly." Weiss replies. "But the meaning has still been there."

"Who?" Jaune asks.

"My father." Weiss answers in such that everyone knows not to press her further.

" _ **When disapproval's all you're shown, the safest place becomes alone."**_

' _Why does this have to cut so deep.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Now it's pointing out how few people I had there for my growing up.'_

" _ **And isolation's, the price you pay."**_

" _ **And every friendship, is pushed away."**_

"Weiss…" Ruby speaks up. "You're not…?"

"This is talking about the past." Weiss responds. "I've gotten over my problems..." _'For the most part.'_ "…so I would prefer that we not talk about it."

" _ **But bit by bit now, a step each day."**_

" _ **I'm slowly starting, to find my way."**_

"See. I'm dealing with my problems." Weiss says. "All I ask is that no one push this more than they need to."

" _ **Some believe in fairy stories, and the ghosts that they can't see."**_

" _ **I know that I could do so much, if I could just believe in me."**_

" _ **Mirror mirror, I'll tell you something."**_

" _ **I think I might change it all."**_

' _This means I can do it.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I can achieve what I set out to do. I can make a difference that truly benefits the world.'_

"Err…" Oscar raises his voice, unfamiliar with what comes next. "Should we…?"

"We will not be discussing this." Weiss declares, then softens her voice as she notices Oscar wincing. "It's just that this is very personal. Normally we could talk about our thoughts on this, but I would prefer that we at least wait for it to appear in the videos."

"Look!" Ruby points to the screen.

 **Congratulations**

 **In preparation for the next volume being released, a new bonus video is now available**

"We should watch it." Weiss says, eager to change the subject from the song they just saw.

Seeing no reason to complain, Ren starts the new bonus video.

 **Volume 3: WoR1: Vytal Festival Tournament**

"So this is officially part of Volume three." Yang brings up.

"I suppose it will be nice to go over the details on what the tournament is." Weiss says. "Though we can't expect there to be anything that we don't already know."

"I'm not entirely sure about all the details." Oscar says. "So it might be for my benefit?" He poses it as a question.

"I'm guessing you got a lot of much needed information from the previous bonus videos?" Pyrrha asks.

"I did."

"Then maybe that's by we have those videos." Ruby says. "To catch you and any other new additions up on the basic information that's needed to understand the other videos."

"That makes sense." Weiss agrees. "Otherwise they seem completely useless."

" **It all began, as most things do, with war." A different voice narrates while a map of Remnant is shown.**

"Ozpin!?" Nora questions, just before anyone else can voice the exact same thoughts. "Why is he narrating?"

"Because it's a new volume?" Sun proposes. "Maybe each volume has a different bonus video narrator."

' _That's surprisingly insightful.'_ Weiss thinks.

"We won't know until we see more videos." Blake says. "But that does sound likely."

" **The Kingdoms of the world had been locked in a violent struggle for years. But eventually, the great war of Remnant came to an end on the small island of Vytal." Warrior silhouettes overlay the map, representing the different forces.**

"More about how the Vytal festival came to be rather than the actual nature of the tournament." Jaune comments. "Though I guess it's all connected."

" **It was here that humanity's leaders chose peace over bloodshed, and constructed the future of modern society, establishing new laws, new academies, and new traditions." The warriors fade, zooming in on the island of Vytal while men of different kingdoms shake hands and fireworks celebrate the occasion.**

"Undoubtably the biggest celebration in the whole of Remnant." Weiss says. "It's such a large event that we wouldn't be able to afford celebrating it every year. The cost would be too high, and the devotion of resources would prevent us from making as significant advancements as we have."

"I did wonder about that." Yang says. "It did always seem weird how it's only every other year."

" **The Vytal Festival was created to serve as a celebration of peace between the Kingdoms. Every two years, a Kingdom would be chosen to open its doors to the world, allowing citizens from every corner of Remnant to meet and indulge in one another's cultures." The fireworks form images of people trading foods, dancing together, and rejoicing in the ongoing peace.**

' _The pinnacle of everything Huntresses should strive towards.'_ Ruby thinks. _'A symbol representing everything so many people have dedicated their lives to protecting.'_

" **The pinnacle of this event was the Vytal Festival Tournament." Two warriors stand in fighting positions against each other, but this time not in malice.**

"We're gonna win!" Nora proudly declares.

"You wish!" Yang retorts. "Team RWBY's gonna wipe the floor with you!"

"You honestly think any of you can beat Pyrrha in the one on ones." Nora grins. "Or against the two of us before that."

"We still haven't decided who will be moving forwards." Pyrrha points out. "There's still time for each of us to improve."

"You don't have to be modest Pyrrha." Jaune says. "You're undoubtably the best when it comes to dealing with any situation, and while Ren's very skilled… Nora's fighting style is much better suited for a tournament."

' _You didn't even bother to assess yourself._ ' Pyrrha thinks. _'Though I probably shouldn't bring it up. No mater how much he improves, I doubt he can overtake us in time for the Tournament. Unless he learns his Semblance, and then it will depend on what that is.'_

" **After the newly formed Huntsman academies proved to be a success, the Vytal Festival Tournament was designed to test the strengths of the Kingdoms' warriors in a safe, and friendly, competitive environment, a wonderful method in which to ensure that the world's Huntsmen would never settle for mediocrity, but would constantly strive to become the absolute best they could be." Various one on one battles are shown, each participant doing there best to achieve victory and obtain the prize of the tournament.**

' _It's a way to ensure all of us take our training seriously._ ' Ren thinks. _'Without the risk involved with constantly being on guard against the Grimm.'_

" **As the skills of the Huntsmen grew, so did the games. And in time, it was decided that the tournament would need a stage equal in greatness, to that of its competitors." Four parts, representing the kingdoms with its colours, form together to create a grand stadium, floating in the air.**

"I didn't know that." Sun says.

"It's not exactly a secret though." Blake says. "Quite the opposite in fact. Each kingdom likes to stress how the success of the festival is due to a matter of teamwork and the lasting peace."

" **Amity Colosseum was the culmination of the four Kingdoms' efforts; a technological marvel and a shining symbol of harmony, capable of making the journey to all the Kingdoms of Remnant." The colosseum shines like gold, representing the strength of the unified peace the kingdoms have achieved together.**

"A floating mobile colosseum, capable of defending from most Grimm without any problems." Ruby says. "I still find it hard to believe that's even possible."

"There have been talks of trying to create miniature kingdoms in the same vein." Weiss informs. "However, that isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. And the defences hold because it's constantly under extremely high security."

" **It's true that all of this began with war. But, it is peace that has served to shepherd humanity on its ascension to greatness." The map is shown again, this time with triumphant and hopeful music filling the background.**

' _I'm sorta glad that Ozpin's now narrating the bonus video,'_ Oscar thinks. _'That other voice was really unsettling, but Ozpin seems like a very admirable person.'_

" **May we never stray from that path." The screen fades to black.**

"And once again we have ominous foreshadowing of something happening in the future." Nora comments. "We're all agreed, right? Something bad definitely happens."

"That's what the note said." Ruby responds. "But each time it gets brought up, I start thinking the scale of the catastrophe is bigger than I previously thought."

"This video did make it sound like it could include other kingdoms." Pyrrha agrees. "It's very possible that Cinder tries to pull something during the Tournament."

 **Congratulations on finishing the video**

 **The next volume will become available immediately tomorrow morning**

"We'll just have to keep watching." Weiss says. "In fact, it's getting quite late. So it's probably best we give in for the night."

Each of them agrees, but they all have worries about what is soon to come.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Mirror mirror part 2:

Mainly about Weiss defying her family

Vytal Festival tournament:

No new info, but ominous foreshadowing.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thoughts on V6 as a whole: Everything up to episode 9 was amazing, after that it was okay but had its high moments.**

 **What are my ships? Personally I like WhiteRose, Bumblebee, Renora, and Arkos. I have a tendency to prefer ships that are cannon or more likely to become cannon. (except that last one)**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	35. V3: C1: Round One

**Review Notes:**

 **While we got to see the openings before the first chapters, I didn't think that would work well in this case. I may have the openings be early releases for future volumes, but much prefer how I've done this chapter.**

 **I'm not sure why I had _Mirror Mirror Part II_ last chapter, I think it may be because I wanted it to make an appearance before _It's My Turn._**

 **Don't worry, no more intermissions until *Checks list* between V3C3 and V3C4.**

 **I can't add Maria until after V6, otherwise she would reveal things about silver eyes before the moment in that volume.**

 **They have clocks so they can tell what time it should be from their perspectives.**

 **What happened in the in-between week may or may not be covered in the future.**

 **I'm not doing a beach episode, this is not that kind of fic.**

 **While I have admitted to being a WhiteRose shipper, I will not be blatantly adding it in this fic unless it happens in the show. That doesn't mean I won't be adding little bits that could be interpreted either way, like how Weiss didn't want to leave Ruby alone with Oscar, that was a little act of defiance against RoseGarden.**

 **I don't like Eruption Fang's videos. I've seen some of them, and I can agree with some of his points, but generally I don't like his opinions.**

 **An anonymous reviewer gave me a list of possible fanfiction guidelines that I *may* be crossing the line with. Thankfully, according to the site of Critics United, they can't do anything to me unless they sent a Private Message and I reply negatively to it or ignore it for a week. I can confirm that I have currently received no such Private Message.**

 **Any reference to RWBY Chibi is purely coincidental. I've never seen it.**

 **The timeline of the characters in the fic has no relation to my update schedule.**

 **Volume 6 Blake and Yang vs Adam fight was one of the highlights of the volume.**

 **Thanks to shotgauntletsrcool for saving us from having to worry about Cinder's evil(er) twin, Cider.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: GeonteneArgon00. Interesting factoid about the sniffing of boots, I will/have used it.**

* * *

Jaune was the first person to get up that day, or at least that's what he thought before arriving in the kitchen.

"Hi Jaune." Oscar greets him. "Is everyone okay with sausages and bacon?" It's at this point that Jaune notices that the younger boy is working the stove.

"It should be fine." Jaune replies. "Though I have to ask, why are you doing this for us?"

Oscar shrugs. "It's the least I can do. I'm sorta the least useful person here after all."

"You shouldn't think of yourself like that." Jaune urges. "Since you've seen the videos, I'm sure you already know plenty about my situation, so trust me when I say that for guys like us… It's more about making sure the others can work at their best, rather than doing any decisive actions ourselves."

"That's… not really what I meant." Oscar responds. _'Does her really think like that? I know he's probably the weakest person here other than me, but I've seen some of his training this last week. The difference between me and him, it's like the difference between him and Pyrrha.'_ "I was actually talking more about distance."

"Distance?"

"When we get sent back, you'll all be sent right into the thick of things. But I'm all the way Anima, so it's not as if I could do anything important even if I was capable."

"You were sent here for a reason though." Jaune protests. _'But still, he has a point. Why would someone so far away and so detached from everything be brought here?'_ It was a difficult line of thought that he hadn't put much time into. Though he fully expected some his more analytical friends are already trying to form theories.

"For now, I just want to get through this without anything bad happening." Oscar explains. "If my role is to help out with stuff like this…" He gestures to the breakfast. "…then that's fine with me."

"If that's what you think is best."

Oscar sighs. _'I want to help more, I really do. But I don't have any idea on how to do that.'_

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Oscar grabs the controller and sits in the lone chair. _'It might be best for me to manage the remote. Makes it easier for the others to focus on watching and taking notes.'_

""Ready."" Everyone agrees.

 **Volume 3: Chapter 1: Round One**

' _Could it be? Already?'_ Weiss considers the implications of the title. _'There haven't been any greatly significant events since when the last video was set, so I considered the idea that we would be watching the future soon. But is it possible that we'll already be getting to see some of the Vytal Festival?'_ She eyes the mini notepad hidden to the left of her legs, glad she brought it with her in case of this exact situation.

 **The video opens with a view of the golden sun in an orange sky over the tall grass and autumn trees. In front of a gravestone at the end of a cliff is a young girl with a cloak billowing petals in the breeze. Hands clasped and hood up, Ruby Rose stands over the white stone memorial.**

Ruby tilts her head in confusion. "I haven't been to Patch recently."

"When was the last time you were in this situation while tree leaves were that colour?" Weiss presses for an answer.

"Err… like, a year ago." Ruby replies.

Weiss turns to Yang. "Would you say that looks more like present Ruby, or Ruby from a year ago?"

"Current." Yang supplies, then realises the implications. "You couldn't be saying…"

"We're already watching the future." Blake agrees with Weiss's conclusion. "It would make sense, but I'm surprised we didn't get any kind of message from our host about this."

"That does seem weird." Sun nods. "But we did have to wait a week to get this. So, was that the time it took to gain access to future events?"

"Perhaps." Pyrrha says. "But first… Ruby, is there any chance that this happened in the past?"

Ruby looks closely at the screen. "I don't think so. If I saw a bit more I could confirm though."

With that, everyone goes quiet. _'Could this really be it?'_ Ren thinks. _'We were brought here to see the future, the past was just a prologue to it. I'll have to be much more detailed with my notes if this is the future.'_

 **Ruby lowers her hood, smiling sadly downward. "Hey, Mom." She looks down at the inscription: 'Summer Rose – Thus Kindly I Scatter' "Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been... well, things have been, pretty busy."**

"This is the future." Ruby states with conviction. "This has never happened before, and I can very easily imagine myself saying this."

"Keep checking." Weiss almost demands. "While I don't want to doubt all of this, the past videos could have been faked. If you notice anything out of character, don't hesitate to bring it up. That goes for everyone!"

' _This is definitely Ruby we're seeing though.'_ Yang thinks. _'It almost hurts, having this be how it starts. But another part of me can't help but feel happy, seeing Ruby talk to Mom, even like this.'_

" **Oh, Dad's here, too! He's, uh, you know... Dad." Ruby shrugs. "He's still teaching at Signal. But he told me that he's going to be on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you."**

"Your Mom was very important to you, wasn't she?" Oscar says, careful to sound very respectful.

"She was." Ruby nods her head, smiling, but also holding back her sadness. "She was everything I strive to be, a person who didn't just save the day, but also brought so much joy to everyone near her."

"She was the one who held our family together." Yang explains. "The centrepiece that… she was amazing okay, that's all I have to say."

" **I miss you too."**

' _That really tugs at the heartstrings.'_ Yang thinks. _'It's only been about a minute and I already feel like this.'_

" **Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I keep her in line..."**

"You cheeky little…" Yang elbows her sister lightly. "Don't think I'm gonna let you get away with that."

"It's a hard job being team leader." Ruby continues the joke. "But since I'm already very much familiar with the biggest troublemaker in our team, I think I've done a pretty good job of keeping things together."

" **That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from Dad! Well, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates! Together, we form Team RWBY! And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion." An instrumental of _Red like Roses_ plays in the background.**

"I still get a bit confused when people say RWBY without specifying that they're talking about the team." Jaune admits. "Thankfully, it seems most people in Beacon have already caught on to the fact that you should be specific when calling out team names."

" **Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends, and then I met some... let's just say, uh, odd teachers."**

"Which ones are you referring to?" Nora asks. "The narcissist or the hyperactive?"

"I don't know." Ruby replies. "Future, remember. I can't be sure what future me is thinking." She turns her head slightly. "Though I expect it's probably both."

' _Strange how Nora used descriptors that can probably also be applied to herself.'_ Sun thinks.

" **Oh! We've also stopped some bad guys, too! I guess it's like they say: 'like mother, like daughter'!"**

' _It seems that there's a good chance Summer Rose will relate somehow to the conflict that has been alluded to. It's likely that she was working for Ozpin, and the real reason for her death was because of Cinders organisation.'_ Ren thinks. He hesitates to write this down though, his notes are available to everyone so it would be bad for Ruby to see it and worry over what is simply a theory. In most cases he'd be more honest about it, but he knows everyone has their weak points they don't want brought up, and this could very well be it for Ruby.

" **I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is." The background music changes to _All our days_.**

' _That music…'_ Blake notices. _'Is this what the lyrics were referring to? If so, then the song suddenly takes on a much more bittersweet or even regretful meaning.'_

" **It's funny, the more I get to know him, the more he's starting to sound like Uncle Qrow."**

"You really think so?" Yang asks. "I didn't really notice, but I guess I can see it."

"It would make sense." Weiss says. "Since Qrow apparently works for Ozpin, there's a good chance he's picked up on a few mannerisms or ideologies."

"They wouldn't be working together in the first place if they didn't share ideologies." Pyrrha points out.

"I'm not too sure about the mannerisms though." Yang says. "Maybe when Qrows being serious… but the rest of the time, definitely not."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asks.

"Uncle Qrow is kinda… immature? When he's not being serious." Ruby explains.

"More like irresponsible." Yang says. "But that's only when he doesn't need to bother. You all know what happened in my flashback, so he's pretty on point when he needs to be. If he's sober enough."

' _So he's a functional alcoholic.'_ Weiss thinks, unpleasant memories coming to mind. _'At least that's better than the alternative.'_

 ***Woof* A bark alerts Ruby to the ever-adorable Zwei and the sight of her father, Taiyang, in the trees behind her.**

"Zwei!" Nora cheers. "Does this mean he'll be coming back to Beacon?"

"Probably not." Yang answers. "Unless Dad's going on a mission, he'll probably be staying in Patch."

"Erm…" Oscar speaks up. "Just to be sure, that's your Dad standing there. Right?"

"Yep." Ruby answers. "Has he really not made a single appearance so far?"

"He hasn't." Ren confirms.

" **Oh! Looks like Dad's back! I gotta go! He's dropping me off at Beacon for the tournament match before he goes on his next mission. Wish me luck!"**

"So we are going to get Zwei back at Beacon." Nora nods her head in satisfaction.

"More importantly, it sounds like the tournament isn't very far away." Weiss says.

"It's only a month away now." Blake points out. "To be honest, it would be more surprising if we didn't see any of it this volume."

"Bets on which team it going to get the furthest!" Nora shouts.

Weiss grimaces "We don't have to do anything like tha…"

"Team RWBY's going all the way!" Yang interrupts.

"Agreed!" Weiss suddenly changes her demeanour.

"No way." Nora refutes. "JNPR's gonna wipe the floor with you."

"Chances are we won't even go against each other." Pyrrha points out. "And if we do, it would most likely be in the finals."

"In that case, I am suddenly less confident." Yang admits.

' _What does that mean?'_ Oscar wonders, not overly familiar with the tournament rules.

 **Ruby puts the hood back on and starts to walk away, but turns and delivers one final message to her mother: "It was good to talk."**

 **With that said, Ruby jogs back to her family as a group of birds fly into the sun.**

' _This makes me feel so guilty.'_ Blake thinks. _'I should have contacted my parents the moment I left the White Fang. I should still contact them. But I'm just too worried about how they'll respond.'_

 **A falling petal and a sudden upbeat in the music shifts the scene to an overhead view of Amity Colosseum, where the battle grounds indicate a fight is already being held. Crowds are cheering in the stands, visitors from all over the world. Half of the arena is covered in icy glaciers, while the other is singed red like volcanic earth embers.**

"It's actually happening!" Yang displays her excitement. "We're already getting a tournament match."

"Who's it gonna be?" Ruby wonders.

"If I were to guess, I'd say RWBY or JNPR against some people who haven't been in previous videos." Sun says.

"It's actually possible this entire volume will be purely dedicated to watching the tournament matches." Pyrrha considers. "RWBY and JNPR matches will total to nine at most, plus a few more videos to feature SSSN and, hopefully, we'll get to see more of Cinders group."

"Nine?" Oscar questions.

"You have to go through five matches to win the tournament." Pyrrha explains. "Double that for both teams, but take one away if we go against each other in the finals."

"You're acting a little bit arrogant, don't you think." Sun mentions.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha responds. _'That may be a symptom of winning too often.'_

"She does have a point about how well the numbers match up." Blake says. "Given that, we can probably look forward to a volume full of action and excitement."

"We aren't here to enjoy ourselves." Weiss reminds them, her hidden notepad and pen ready for when everyone finally stops talking. "We are here to learn more about our opponents so that we can be well prepared for whatever their plans are."

"Doesn't mean we can't have fun on our first viewings though." Ruby grumbles.

 **In the field below, Ruby fires and swings her Crescent Rose at an off-screen target as Blake exchanges blows with a green haired skateboarder, the blades of her Gambol Shroud colliding with the hoverboard of her opponent until she flips away, readies herself, and charges in again. Behind her, Weiss waves her Myrtenaster as the sound of her mystical power is heard, and finally Yang dodges an explosive force before returning fire with her own Ember Celica.**

"It's us!" Ruby cheers. "This is our team match!"

"But who are we up against." Weiss wonders. Though she can recall seeing them on the Beacon campus recently, the ones she saw don't ring any particular bells.

"That's team ABRN." Sun informs them. "They're from Mistral, so I already know a good deal about them."

"Anything in particular you can tell us?" Weiss presses for information.

Sun raises an eyebrow. "Don't think I can't tell what you're trying to do. I'm not about to sell out my academy."

"Could you at least tell us their names then." Weiss settles for a reasonable request.

"Sure." Sun relents. "Arslan is the girl with platinum blond hair, Bolin's the guy with black hair, Reese girl green hair, and Nadir's the guy with a pink ponytail."

"Thankyou." Ren is the one to speak instead of Weiss. "Knowing that now will make taking notes easier."

' _And for me too.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **High above the action, two familiar teachers are sitting at a sports caster's desk, with a microphone between them and the holographic image of the four kingdoms' symbols united as one.**

" **Ho-ho! It seems that we have another astonishing bout ahead of us! Wouldn't you agree, Professor?" Professor port says.**

"Why are they the announcers?" Nora questions. "Not that I doubt they'll do a good job, but…"

"It's practically tradition for teachers from the hosting academy to act as announcers." Ruby explains. "Though it's sorta cool how the teachers that have been in the most videos are the ones doing it."

"And how do you know this?" Weiss asks, genuinely impressed.

"You told me to study past tournaments, remember." Ruby says. "So I've been watching old videos to get a good idea on what it's like."

"And isn't that just agonising." Yang jokes.

" **Doctor." Oobleck refutes, then brightens up excitedly again. "And yes Peter, I think it's safe to say this match may be the closest we've seen of the four-on-four round of the tournament!"**

' _In other words, this team ABRN is a formidable set of opponents.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That just makes it even more important that I get a good read on their strategies and weaknesses.'_

" **For those of you just now joining us, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament, broadcast live from the Amity Colosseum!" Port waves his arm to gesture at the entire event from his place on the gigantic screen over the crowds. The Coliseum is shown in its full glory, as shuttle craft transport people to and from the various floors while the entire structure hovers around the airspace of Beacon Academy.**

"Whoa…" Oscar looks at the coliseum in awe. "It really can fly."

"That's not the most impressive aspect of it." Blake says. "What's important is how it can consistently travel between kingdoms while fending off the Grimm attacks."

 **Explosions are seen throughout the battlefield, but the view shifts back to the announcers as they begin speaking again.**

" **If this is your first time watching, allow us to break down the rules." Port explains.**

' _That's useful.'_ Oscar thinks. _'These videos are surprisingly easy to understand, even for someone who doesn't have huntsman training.'_

" **The tournament is divided into three distinctive rounds; teams, doubles, and singles." Oobleck holds up the appropriate number of fingers for each of his explanations as a hologram to his side illustrates the rules. "Age and school year are irrelevant! In this tournament, your only attribute being tested... is skill."**

"Why don't they split it between year groups?" Oscar asks.

"Partially because it's extremely common for younger students to beat the older ones." Pyrrha explains. "Plus, this way we get to fight for the singular position of the best team, rather than just best in year. It's much more exciting for the audience that way."

" **Correct!" Port nods as another hologram pops up to do the same thing. "The winners of this battle will elect two of their members to represent them in the doubles round, followed by the winners of that round choosing one member to advance once again. The remaining combatants will then fight their way through the final bracket in the hope of achieving victory for their kingdom!" The hologram disappears with the image of a victorious figure, sword raised and wearing a crown.**

"You think we're gonna get the same matchups as we'll see in the videos?" Ruby wonders.

"Doubtfully." Weiss admits. "The matches haven't been decided yet, and it's completely random so the smallest thing should be capable of changing it completely." _'But it's still useful to know about the people we could potentially go against.'_

" **And yes, Peter, these certainly are some spectacular spectacles on which to spectate on!" Oobleck pushes up his own spectacles as he says this. "I don't think anyone tuning in around the world is going to disagree with me on that!" As they say this, the scene changes to their televised broadcasts all around the kingdoms, from a row of holographs above the patrons in the Mistral Distillery to an Atlas home with a group of friends seeing it together, a bar in Vale where everyone turns to view the screen, and outside a mobile home in Vacuo being watched by a few Faunus.**

"Am I right in saying this is the most watched event every other year?" Jaune asks.

"Unquestionably." Weiss answers. "No other event even comes close. It was actually because of the tournament that the idea of having in home televisions became popular."

" **Ahh, and why would they? Now, let's get back to the match between Team RWBY of Beacon, and Team ABRN, of Haven." Port says.**

' _I hope this doesn't mean we've missed too much of the match.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **The announcements cut back to the action, as Reese steers her board through the ice. She twirls herself until the board gets launched at Blake, but she's able to knock it away, only for Reese to direct it back at her opponent.**

"Go Blake!" Ruby cheers.

"Break that stupid hoverboard!" Yang joins in.

"Sh-should I join in?" Blake wonders out loud. "I would be cheering for myself so…"

"So what." Nora remarks. "I do it all the time."

"Well then. You can do it…!" Blake cheers uncomfortably. "…me?"

 **Blake blocks again, but the board rotates back to its wielder just in time to defend Reese as Blake delivers several slashes and kicks. Reese deflects each attack and spins her weapon around until she can flip away and ride it again, rushing towards a smirking Blake.**

"Looks like you've got something planned." Sun turns to Blake. "Any ideas?"

"Depends on what Dust I have available." Blake responds. "Though I think I have a good idea."

' _There's no way I wouldn't ensure we're all fully equipped before the match.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Reese collides with a frozen shadow clone, and Blake uses his opportunity to slice the board in two, only for the halves to become dual katars that in turn fold up into bayonet-bladed revolvers.**

' _That's very useful to know.'_ Weiss notes this down. _'It's probably better to separate her from the hoverboard rather than attack it directly. But there's also a good chance she might have a mechanism to make retrieving it easier.'_

 **Reese manages to fire off a few green rounds before her tailbone collides painfully on the cold ground. Blake winces with sympathy.**

"Ouch!" Nora winces. "That's gotta hurt."

"Well it's not as if many people have experience landing on ice." Sun comments. "Definitely not around Vacuo, and I doubt many people from Anima could do it."

"Unless they come from Sanctum." Pyrrha points out. "But she's probably used to landing on her board instead."

 **Meanwhile, Yang lands mere feet away from Arslan, who backs away before being pounded by a flurry of punches and kicks until she delivers her own hits, ending with the two smashing fists and creating a shockwave of force from the impact.**

"Another brute force brawler." Yang grins. "If we're roughly evenly matched at this point, she won't stand a chance later on."

"While it is a very similar fighting style at a first glance, Arslan seems to have a more refined stance, and more practices blows. Unlike your instinctual methods." Pyrrha says.

' _That means Yang would be better at dealing with a less standard environment.'_ Weiss thinks. _'We could probably achieve that by having Blake team up with her for a moment. They do work exceptionally well together.'_

 **Yang and Arslan are both thrown back, but Yang reaches her and tries delivering more blows before Arslan uses her rope dart to tangle up her blonde adversary and land a kick of her own to send Yang skidding on the ground. While Yang tries to get her balance back on the slippery surface, Arslan rushes forward and knocks her back even further.**

"Well I know who I'm going after." Yang narrows her eyes.

"But you lost to her." Ruby pints out. "Wouldn't it be better to choose a different target? If we even get to fight them at all."

"It's a matter of pride." Yang announces. "Plus we've got plenty of time to prepare for future fights, so if I can beat her then it proves a point."

' _While this isn't the best motivation. It's good that Yang's so eager for training.'_ Ruby thinks.

 **Nearby, Nadir tries aiming with his assault rifle at Yang before a gunshot is heard and a sudden burst of frosty blue explodes behind him and leaves the whimpering gunner in a block of ice up to his thighs, with his weapon on the ground unavailable to him.**

"Yeah!" Ruby yells. "That's one foe permanently out of the battle. You can thank me later."

"You sure it wasn't Weiss?" Jaune asks.

"I would remember the sound of my baby anywhere." Ruby proudly declares.

"You sure he can't break out of it?" Nora asks.

"Look at his face." Yang points to the screen. "Does that look like the face of someone who can break out of it. Without his weapon!"

"Fair point." Nora nods.

" **Got your back!" Ruby looks up from her sniper scope.**

" **But who's got yours?" A male voice calls from behind Ruby.**

"Oh dear." Blake sighs.

"Why aren't you at a vantage point!?" Weiss demands an answer.

"I don't know!" Ruby admits. "Maybe they're all too close to the boundaries, and I don't want to take the risk."

"Then you should make sure you have your back to a wall." Weiss advises. "That way you won't be ambushed like this."

"I…" Ruby is about to argue, but stops herself. "Good advice. I'll take it into account in the future."

 **Ruby looks up behind her to see Bolin twirling his staff, right when a black snowflake glyph appears to his left and Weiss kicks him through it into a rock.**

" **My BFF!" Ruby declares.**

"So that's where you were." Yang comments. "For a moment it seemed like you were already out of the fight."

"I am seriously worried if you have such little faith in me." Weiss glares at the blond. "As if I would let myself be the first one out of the match."

"Then who will it be?" Sun wonders. "I can't imagine any of you going out of the match before one of the others. Unless Yang overestimates her Aura."

"Ohhh." Ruby practically squeals. "First one out has to carry another member of the team five laps around Beacon."

"We can't leave." Ren points out. "Though you could travel the equivalent distance."

"I can agree to that." Yang shrugs. "But Ruby, you know that's skewed against you right."

"Yang!" Ruby yells. "You think I'm that weak!?"

"I think you're the lightest, so the rest of us could choose to carry you to make it easier." Yang says.

"Oh." Ruby replies. "Well that's okay because I won't lose."

"It sounds interesting." Blake nods her head.

"I'm not against it." Weiss says. "But it would have been better if were used as an incentive, rather than a gamble based on our other selves."

" **No." Weiss deadpans, then runs off to fight the next opponent.**

" **Yes." Ruby pumps her fist, whispering to herself.**

"How are you not BFF's." Jaune questions. "Do you have someone else your closer to?"

"Not unless you count my sister." Weiss admits. "But I refuse to be referred to like that."

' _So we really are BFF's.'_ Ruby beams.

" ** _You, were the one."_ Bolin crouches with his weapon as he sees a white glyph appear in front of him. A second later, Weiss dashes by and slashes at him, then leaps up and attempts an aerial attack, which he's able to block. _"Who held me down and told me I was heading nowhere."_**

"New song!" Nora cheers. "What's it about?"

' _Please don't let it be about me again.'_ Weiss gets a sick feeling. _'We already had that song yesterday. I don't want any more invasion of my privacy.'_

" ** _You, said know your place, accept your fate and show good face, and be thankful that you're there."_ Weiss readies her sword while preparing a glyph behind her, and Ruby uses it to launch herself straight up and come down spinning on Bolin, who manages to block the curved blade.**

' _Well that's it then.'_ Weiss grimaces. "The songs about me again."

"Did your father really say that to you?" Blakes face turns to disgust. The more she learns about the man, the worse he seems even on a personal level.

"Not in those exact words." Weiss admits. "But the sentiment has always been there."

' _I should talk with Dad about the chance of having Weiss over for the break.'_ Ruby thinks. _'It's very clear that she doesn't want to go back to Atlas.'_

" ** _That was so long ago, when you owned me. I believed it was true."_ Ruby grimaces and blasts herself away to Weiss' side, and Bolin rushes at them, rolling away from the shards of ice that rain on him and jumping over Ruby's swing as he continues running.**

" **Whaaat!?" Ruby yells.**

' _Seems like this Bolin is a good contender for getting to the doubles or even singles.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I should revise my notes on him later. The lyrics got me distracted for a moment.'_

" ** _Bend me shape me, build me, break me. Why was I your fool?"_ Bolin manages to reach an orange crystal deposit and slice off a shard, which he throws to Reese over in the icy half of the stadium. With Dust in hand, Reese fuses it with her board, turning the aqua lights to a crimson shade.**

"What can she use that for?" Sun asks. _'Maybe I should have payed more attention to the other teams at Haven.'_

"Probably emitting heat." Ruby explains. "It should drain an opponent's Aura a little faster, but other than that, it shouldn't be useful for much."

 **Reese winks at Blake, then uses the board's heat to free Nadir from his icy snare. _"And now I'm so much stronger, I'm not yours any longer, I've got a message here for you."_ Reese comes back to Blake and slams her board into her enemy's blade, but propels herself backwards and knocks Blake through a frozen pillar.**

"You were saying." Yang glances to Ruby.

"That was extremely situational!" Ruby complains. "I can't be expected to know the applications for every possible situation!"

 **Reese attempts to use her board to slam her foe into the ground, but when Blake dodges that, she spins around in a flaming arc that Blake narrowly misses thanks to her shadows. Changing tactics, Blake launches the pistol part of Gambol Shroud at a nearby glacier and launches herself behind it, as Reese follows her and sees Blake with her back turned to her under an arch.**

"A bit of an obvious trap, don't you think?" Jaune says.

"I probably didn't have enough time to prepare anything more." Blake replies. "Plus it's only obvious to someone who knows my Semblance."

"Reese has been fighting you for the whole match, so shouldn't she know?" Oscar asks. _'I'm gonna have to join in on more conversations if I don't to be ignored later.'_

"I doubt I have anything to lose in this case." Blake says. "So it's still worth a shot."

 **Reese grins before riding in to deliver a flaming spiral at the shadow clone, only to see the ribbon Blake is launching to trap her opponent a moment too late. She pulls tightly and causes Reese to slam body-first into the string, only to use a final kick to knock her out of the stage. Reese crashes into the wall of the stands before landing on the ground, defeated.**

"One down!" Ruby cheers. "Now we've got the advantage."

"But it's by ring out." Weiss complains. "That can't be considered a total victory, and many people consider victory by ringout to be unfair."

"We all know the rules." Pyrrha states. "Plus Reese was soundly defeated by Blake."

"And utilising the environment is a common tactic in real fights." Blake argues, slightly annoyed that Weiss is undermining her victory. "Criminals will try to put you in a situation where you can't follow them, so this I a good equivalent.

" **Ooh, a double whammy!" Port comments, as Reese's Aura level drops in the team display until her image is crossed out and she angrily slams her fist on the ground. "Reese Chloris is eliminated by ringout and Aura level!"**

"It seems I owe you an apology." Weiss admits to Blake. "Good work on taking her out singlehandedly." _'Now we know that having those two fight is a good idea.'_

"Thankyou." Blake smiles. "Does this mean none of us lost the bet?"

"The bet doesn't include our competition." Ruby declares. "The first person on our team to be eliminated loses."

"Speaking of." Sun chimes in. "You can see everyone's Aura levels now."

 **Arslan Altin: 85**

 **Bolin Hori: 55**

 **Reese Chloris: 13**

 **Nadir Shiko: 80**

 **Ruby Rose: 85**

 **Weiss Schnee: 90**

 **Blake Belladonna: 70**

 **Yang Xiao Long: 60**

"How can this be considered a close match!?" Nora complains. "Blake took out Reese without losing even half of her Aura, Ruby and Weiss are practically untouched, and Yang's Aura isn't a very good measurement."

"Oobleck only said that early in the match." Pyrrha points out. "It's possible it took some time for things to really heat up."

' _It's still good to know that we've got the upper hand.'_ Weiss thinks. _'If we end up losing this, that will be seriously disappointing.'_

" **Oh, she really should've worn a helmet!" Oobleck says.**

"Not really an option during a fight." Yang admits. "Sure, the safety would be great, but you'd also loose that sense of awareness to everything. Definitely not worth it for most fighting styles."

" ** _Hey, wait, turn and show your face. I've got a lot to say, and you're not going anywhere."_ Back in the fight, Arslan uses her rope to swing around and avoid Yang right behind her, using shotgun blasts to propel herself forward. Nadir comes into the picture, aiming his rifle at Weiss as she summons another glyph and launches Bolin at him. The two teammates are helpless as Weiss creates a whirlwind from underneath them and slamming the two together until she forms a giant ice fist straight up from the ground to trap the two.**

"Nice one!" Ruby cheers. "Beating them two at a time."

"Team ABRN is really outmatched here." Jaune agrees. "Are that weak or…"

"They have a couple strong members." Sun doesn't go into details about who. "I was expecting them to make it into the doubles at least, but since they're up against team RWBY…"

' _We mustn't get overconfident from these videos.'_ Weiss thinks. _'It may be best if something happens that forces us to really re-evaluate our progress.'_

" ** _You lose; the time you ruled me's through. I'm in control I own my soul, and I'll never go back there."_ The fist reforms itself into a ball that rolls around the field, and when Arslan sees her team in this state, she rolls her eyes, annoyed, before changing direction and sliding into the path of the ball.**

"Defiance." Ren states. "That's the theme of the song. No other way of interpreting it."

"Good." Weiss states.

" ** _Wasted years that I spent, never knowing. I was kept, I was used. Never-ending, condescending. Now I just refuse."_ Arslan readies her stance and drives her hand into the sphere, which cracks under her power and frees her allies.** " ** _I don't care what it costs me. I know I almost lost me. Won't spend another day confused."_**

' _Arslan is certainly one of the stronger members.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That's not too surprising given how she's team leader.'_

" ** _Time for you to learn, It's my turn."_**

" **Yang!" Weiss calls, causing the blond to turn her attention to her as creates a large frozen slide-like shape. "NOW!"**

"Yes!" Yang yells. "I love it when we do this move!"

"It is good to have a team attack that involves all of us." Blake agrees.

"So you're just going to leave the rest of in the dark I'm guessing." Sun remarks.

"Only you and Oscar." Ruby says. "JNPR all know since we spend a lot of time training together."

' _We'd better not mess this up.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That would be really embarrassing.'_

" ** _I won't be held down any longer, I've waited all my life and finally it's here."_ Knowing what to do, Yang blasts herself forward and skims over the wall of ice, catching Blake's pistol as her teammate uses Ruby as a launch pad to jump off of towards the remaining members of ABRN. The three only have a second to look horrified as Blake whips a screaming Yang around to land a devastating punch that sends the trio flying into their elimination.** _" **It all begins, A chance to win. A dream that's been a lifetime, an endless vast uphill climb, the day I've waited for is drawing near."**_

"Victory!" Nora cheers.

"Yeah!" Every member of RWBY joins in.

' _Nora isn't even part of their team.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Though I can't help but feel excited after seeing that.'_

" **Yes!" Yang yells triumphantly as her teammates cheer in the background.**

" **And that's the match!" Port announces, as the buzzer goes off. "Team RWBY is victorious!"**

"We did it!" Ruby yells. "Does that mean none of us lost the bet?"

"It would seem so." Weiss doesn't bother hiding the smile on her face. "It's unfortunate that we don't have some kind of prize prepared."

 **Weiss looks around, surprised and in a cautious disbelief. "We... did it?"**

 **Ruby looks at her sister for confirmation, then smiles and leaps into the air, screaming. "WE DID IIIIII…"**

" **...is anyone else starving?" Ruby hunches over in a new setting.**

"Cool transition." Sun comments. "I guess now we have to assume what's added for effect and what's real."

"Thankfully, it's fairly obvious." Pyrrha says. "I doubt we'll ever be misled by something that was merely meant for comedy."

" **I may have worked up an appetite." Blake admits, looking cool as ever, arms behind her head. This is interrupted when a sound similar to that of an angry growling beast is heard coming from her stomach, proving her statement, much to her embarrassment.**

Blake blushes, doing her best to hide her face from the others. _'And only now do I realise we could see ourselves doing something embarrassing that we have no control over.'_

Thankfully, no one pays too much attention to Blake. Or at the very least, they ignore her after noticing her expression.

" **Gee, if only there was somewhere on campus to get food around here." Weiss sarcastically shrugs her arms. The view zooms out to show a myriad of tents and small shops wreathed in colourful flags in a large forest clearing as people mill about to experience it all. "Oh, wait."**

"I guess we can't expect Weiss to act very differently in the future." Ruby says.

"You were being silly." Weiss defends herself over the sound of sniggers.

 **Ruby takes Weiss' shoulder. "It's okay, Weiss, I forget about the fairgrounds, too."**

" **I was being facetious?" Weiss knocks Ruby's arm away.**

" **Gah! Well if you were hungry, why didn't you say so!?" Ruby freaks out.**

"Be honest Ruby." Yang turns to her sister. "You have no idea what that word means."

"I… err. No." Ruby says this with a surprising amount of confidence. "But future me might know. You have no way of telling if she does."

"A fair point." Weiss admits. "I hope we never miss any details due to future knowledge that isn't shown in the videos."

"They seem to be covering everything important." Oscar says. "I don't have any knowledge on this stuff, but I'm following it pretty well."

" **Come on! I know just the place." Yang heads of in a direction.**

 **Team RWBY starts to follow Yang, but Weiss suddenly stops as she hears a ringtone on her Scroll. Pulling it out, she sees the caller ID labelled "FATHER", and glares at the device, putting it back from where she got it, unanswered.**

"You sure that's a good idea?" Jaune asks. "For all we know, he probably want's to congratulate you on the victory."

"I have no doubt he would start the conversation by congratulating me." Weiss responds. "I'm more worried about what he would say after that." _'He would probably insist on me moving on to the doubles, and that would in turn force me to not do so. I refuse to let his decisions impact me anymore.'_

"Just let Weiss deal with this problem how she wants to." Ruby says this to everyone. "That's what she needs, and if she wants help, we're there for her."

' _Thank you.'_ Weiss hides her comforted smile.

" **Hey! Might be hard to eat without this." A 'friendly' voice stops the group as the owner holds out a red wallet filled with Lien.**

" **No, no, no, no!" Ruby frantically pats around her outfit, panicking.**

"Emerald." Blake grumbles.

"Now that we know she's a skilled pickpocket, a lot of our previous interactions with her make much more sense." Yang says.

 **Emerald laughs 'pleasantly'. "Good to see you, Ruby."**

"She sounds so genuine." Pyrrha expresses her disgust. "How does she do that so easily."

"Some people are especially skilled at handling social interactions." Yang says. "I'm guessing she's one of them."

"At the very least, she's the best in Cinder's group." Jaune agrees.

" **Oh! Thanks, Emerald!" Ruby takes the wallet back from her 'friend' and puts it away. "Oh. Guess I dropped it. Girl pockets are the worst!" She slouches as she says this.**

"I have been losing lots of things since Emerald came to Beacon." Ruby says. "You think she's taking them for some specific reason?"

"What have you lost?" Ren asks.

"Pens... assignments…" Ruby trails of. "Small snacks."

"It's likely a coincidence." Weiss states. "That or she's just messing with you."

" **What's up, Em?" Yang greets.**

" **Just left the stadium after your amazing fight! You guys were awesome!" Emerald congratulates them.**

" **Oh, shut your stupid little face..." Ruby mumbles while blushing.**

Ruby scrunches her face. _'Why are there people like this in the world. People who hide who they really are behind a mask. We should all be working together, not playing these nonsensical games to get more money or fame than someone else.'_

" **I heard your team progressed to the next round too." Blake says over Ruby's incoherent gushing.**

"Not unexpected, but good top know." Ren scribbles in his notes. "It's unfortunate that we didn't get to see the fight."

" **You know, I feel that we haven't seen your other teammates." Weiss points out.**

"Cinder's probably cautious about the offhand possibility of Ruby recognising her, and Neo's the same, but for all of us." Weiss points out.

"Makes sense." Blake agrees.

" **How'd they do in the fight?" Yang asks.**

 **Emerald tilts her head up in thought, remembering how she blasted opponents with her revolvers, then slashed behind her as Mercury kicks out a shotgun blast with his boots. Cinder did the same with her own target, landing the poor soul at the feet of their teammate, a mysterious black-haired girl who leans over and stares down as the camera focuses on how her green eyes blink into a pair of pink and brown irises as she smirks while delivering a stomp on her victim's face into darkness.**

"That's definitely Neo." Yang contains her rage. "The real question is how she changed eye colours so quickly."

"I'm fairly confident she has some kind of illusory Semblance." Ren says. "It could also be how she changed hair colour."

" **Really well." Emerald comes back to reality, nodding.**

" **That's great." Ruby congratulates. "Uh. Why don't we all go and get a victory food together?"**

"Please say no, please say no, please say no." Ruby repeats to herself.

"It would be useful to get more info on her." Weiss says. "But I agree, the idea is disturbing."

"Also, she's very unlikely to give anything away." Blake mentions.

" **Oh, gosh, that's so nice of you, but my teammates are all kind of..." Emerald looks back at Mercury as he sniffs the inside of a boot, looking perplexed after he does so. "...introverted. Really socially awkward."**

"I don't want to defend the bad guys here." Oscar chimes in. "But there's actually a good reason to smell shoes like that."

"Really, what?" Pyrrha asks out of genuine interest.

"Synthetic leather has a certain odour to it." Oscar explains. "So he's probably smelling them to see if they're real leather or not."

"Wouldn't there be less, disturbing, ways to figure that out?" Ruby asks.

"Probably." Oscar admits. "But for all we know, this is what he was taught to do."

"Which brings us to the question of their backgrounds." Weiss says. "And why they are motivated to do what they do."

" **Ooh, yeah." Yang nods. "I can see that."**

" **So yeah, looks like Merc and I are going to move on to the doubles round. What about you guys?" Emerald asks.**

"Why those two?" Jaune questions. "I doubt they're the best fighters in their team. In fact, they might be the weakest."

"Same reason the other two don't show themselves often?" Yang suggests. "Or maybe they don't care about doing well in the tournament."

"It seems strange that they would waste such an opportunity." Oscar says.

"Opportunity for what?" Sun asks.

"I have no idea." Oscar admits. "But the tournament must be an opportunity for something."

"The small boy has a point." Nora nods her head dramatically.

" **Well, as the leader of this team, I thought long and hard about this decision." Ruby grins with a proud look.**

" **We put it to a vote." Weiss slides into the conversation.**

"Hold it!" Yang purposely halts the video. "Are we gonna have another bet depending on who gets chosen?"

"That's not fair!" Ruby complains.

"Worried that you'll lose?" Yang smirks.

"We already know I've lost." Ruby says. "There's no real chance I would be chosen."

"You seemed pretty skilled in the videos." Oscar says. "I would vote for you."

"That was mostly fighting against monsters or giant robots." Weiss explains. "While Ruby excels in those fights, she's admittedly a step behind when it comes to person on person fights."

"That's because of my weapon!" Ruby yells. "It's more effort to not deal severe damage when using something well-crafted and deadly as Crescent Rose."

"Then why'd you make it in the first place?" Sun asks.

"I want to fight monsters." Ruby holds resolve in her voice. "Catching criminals is great, but the Grimm are what I'm really meant to fight."

"In short, Ruby won't be going forwards." Blake says. "But Yang definitely will. We need her for the solo fights."

"So Blake or Weiss." Pyrrha thinks aloud. "I can see the benefits of pairing either with Yang, but nothing to make either of them a better choice than the other."

' _It will most likely be me.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I can almost imagine myself insisting upon it.'_

" **Yes, but I decided that we should put it to a vote." Ruby nervously backtracks.**

" **We voted for Weiss and Yang." Blake explains.**

" **I will happily represent Team RWBY." Weiss curtsies.**

" **Yeah, we're going to kick some butt!" Yang pounds her fists together.**

"Probably our least practiced pairing when it comes to combo attacks." Ruby admits. "But the double usually end up being two singles matches happening at the same time, with the first victor to gang up on the remaining opponent."

"I'm surprised you've been paying so much attention." Weiss says. "I don't think I even noticed that."

 **Emerald laughs. "Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya."**

" **Wouldn't have it any other way." Yang crosses her arms confidently, with Weiss giving a similar look.**

"So Pyrrha, who'd win in a fight?" Yang asks.

Pyrrha takes a deep breath before speaking. "Probably them, if my fight with Mercury was a good indicator. I'm especially worried that he wasn't using his Semblance before, so he may have a special trick up his sleeve."

"That's pretty harsh." Yang comments.

"I'm just being honest about what I think would happen." Pyrrha answers. "That doesn't mean I can't be wrong, and you should still try even if you probably won't stand a chance."

" **Alright, well we're going to catch some more fights." With that, Emerald walk over to her teammate.**

" **Have fun!" Ruby waves her hand as she and her team continue on their way.**

" **See you later!" Emerald cheerfully gives her own wave, but immediately drops the act as she walks with Mercury and looks disgusted.**

"And there goes her mask." Ruby says. "A part of me's glad that was all an act, because it will make fighting her much easier."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Sun nods his head.

" **So, how are the new friends?" Mercury uses finger quotes on the final word.**

" **I hate them." Emerald scowls.**

"Well fuck you too!" Yang yells.

"Yang!" Weiss glares at the blond while occasionally glancing to Oscar.

"Don't filter yourself because of me." Oscar holds his hands up in a semi-surrender. "Just say what you need to. I won't be bothered."

" **Orders are orders." Mercury shrugs.**

" **I just... how can they be so happy all the time!?" Emerald mashes her fingers together angrily.**

"She hates us because we're happy?" Ruby questions. "What kind of sense does that make?"

"She probably had a miserable childhood." Nora lacks her usual enthusiasm. "When in a situation like that, you get really annoyed seeing what you don't have." _'I was lucky enough to be pulled out of that. But it's disturbing that I can relate to Emerald on some level.'_

" **Did you at least get what we want?" Mercury asks.**

" **It's the heiress and the bimbo." Emerald waves his question away.**

"What did she call me?!" Yang yells. "I better not have heard what I think she heard."

' _Even I feel offended by the way she called me an heiress.'_ Weiss thinks.

"Regardless of how she said it, we now know that they wanted information of who's moving to the doubles." Ren says. "Is it possible they were after your team specifically, or do they want information on every team they can get?"

"They were going through a list of some of the strongest students." Blake recalls. "They might have some plans for whoever wins the tournament. Unless we assume they want to win despite not sending Cinder forwards."

"So… would winning be a good thing, or a bad thing?" Sun asks.

"We don't have enough information to tell." Blake says. "But if one of our teams ends up winning, we'll at least be in a better position to ruin their plans."

' _That may be true for what we go back.'_ Weiss thinks. _'But our video selves have no idea there's any plans they have to ruin.'_

" **Hmm, alright. At least we know who we're working with." Mercury comments.**

 **At one of the unassuming huts set up in the fairgrounds stringed with paper lanterns with a sign overhead saying A Simple Wok, Team RWBY sits at the stools outside, ready to order.**

" **I'll have a bowl of the regular, please." Yang decides, causing a large bowl of noodles to slides in front of her.**

"Woah!" Oscar looks at the massive meal in shock. "That's got to be an exaggeration, right? There's no way a person could actually eat that much."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Yang replies. "Huntsmen and Huntresses have a tendency to eat quite a lot." _'Though admittedly, this might be a bit of an exaggeration.'_

" **Oohhh..." Ruby stares at Yang's meal. "I'll take the same." Another large bowl of noodles slides in front of her, as she clasps her hands in excitement.**

 **Weiss looks concerned. "Do you have anything with a low-salt ...?" A large bowl of regular noodles instantly slides in front of her instead. "Um... okay..."**

"Urgh." Nora groans. "Are you seriously still on that diet?"

"It's not a diet." Weiss protests. "I'm just cautious about not eating anything too unhealthy."

"And she gets to act all smug and condescending when I eat too much fruit." Ruby grumbles.

"Strawberries aren't meant to be eaten like that." Weiss says.

 **Instead of saying anything, Blake merely gives a nod and smiles to the man in charge of the stand, who returns the gesture as he rushes through one door of his shop and comes out the other to leave a large bowl of noodles topped with fish in front of her. Blake's eyes light up as she drools over her order.**

Blake can't help but leave her mouth hanging. If not for the already filling breakfast, she would likely leave to get some fish regardless of the video playing.

 **While Weiss looks strangely at her teammate, she gladly offers her Schnee Dust Company credit card to the Shopkeep.**

" **Aw, Weiss! What's the occasion!?" Yang asks.**

" **Consider it thanks for sending me to the doubles round." The heiress smiles.**

"That's it." Yang declares. "We are definitely sending our Weiss to the doubles."

Blake eagerly nods her head at a rapid pace while the heiress herself mentally debates if being chosen like this is acceptable.

 **Unfortunately, Weiss's joy is ruined when the card is flung back at her, and the annoyed stand owner points to his register as it beeps 'DECLINED'.**

" **What?!" Weiss protests. "How can my card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance!"**

"This is definitely wrong." Present Weiss agrees. "I rarely come even close to exceeding my allowance. Who could this happen?"

"Could it have something to do with rejecting your fathers call?" Pyrrha suggests.

"But to do this without any notice!" Weiss complains.

"You… declined his call, remember." Jaune says. "I don't know anything about the intricacies of your family, but he was probably going to tell you about this."

"I… he…" Weiss is left speechless.

"Now you have more warning about what he might do in the future." Ren says. "Also, I'm sure Ozpin would be willing to set up a small fund for you."

' _This is just another one of my father's tactics.'_ Weiss thinks to herself. _'But I can't give in to it, otherwise he'll just end up holding more power over me.'_

 **Blake looks around panicked, she attempts to slowly slide her bowl closer to herself before the stand owner grabs it disappears, causing the poor girl to slump over in defeat. "Nooo!"**

"Why?" Blake mutters quietly. "Why couldn't they take everyone else's food instead?"

"I seriously hope you're joking." Yang comments. "Because otherwise, that means I've been seriously misjudging you for a long time."

Blake doesn't respond, but the look on her face makes it clear that, yes, she was joking.

" **Maybe I could help?" Pyrrha offers, as she and the rest of her team approach the stand."**

" **Pyrrha!" Ruby flings her arms wide in delight.**

" **Aw, you don't have to ..." Yang says.**

" **But she could!" Blake hastily interrupts.**

"It's just for a celebratory meal." Pyrrha says. "I can't imagine myself not doing so."

"That reminds me." Weiss speaks up. "Has anyone noticed themselves acting strangely? Anything that seems out of character?"

"Nope."

"I haven't."

"Nah."

"Good." Weiss nods at her teams response. "It's best if we check this now, before our personalities have a chance of changing."

"You think we might change that much?" Ruby asks.

"Depends on how long this will last. And what will end up happening."

" **Well, I think you all earned it after that battle." Pyrrha says.**

" **Mind if we join you?" Jaune asks, more as a courtesy though, no one expects them to be rejected.**

 **Later on, the bowls are empty, and each student is either content with their meal or holding their stomachs sickly.**

"Now we know a good place to go during the tournament." Yang says. "Not exactly the information we were hoping for, but I'll take it."

" **Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?" Ren asks Pyrrha.**

" **Of course! It will give us energy!" Pyrrha replies while the stand owner gathers the empty bowls.**

"This means JNPR hasn't taken part in a fight yet." Ren says.

"Did you really expect we might miss it?" Sun asks.

"It wouldn't be too unusual for one of our fights to be skipped." Ren says. "We aren't the main focus of the videos after all."

 ***BURB* Nora simply gives a hearty belch.**

"Wow." Nora remarks. "I could actually hear the echo."

 **Jaune splays himself over the counter. "Urrrh… If I barf, I'm blaming you."**

" **Ooh!" Nora grins evilly. "Aim at the enemy!"**

"Please don't let that happen." Jaune says. "I don't want my first appearance on global television to involve me throwing up."

"It would draw a weird similarity to your first appearance in the videos." Yang says.

"Urrrh." Jaune is regretful for even mentioning it.

" **Nora, that's disgusting." Ren berates. "But if you feel the urge ..."**

" **Got it." Jaune gives a weak thumbs-up.**

" **Well, we should be off." Pyrrha stands up, ready to leave.**

" **So, you think you guys are ready?" Ruby asks.**

" **Of course!" Nora replies. "We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, what's basically ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune… we trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh... Jaune!"**

"Gotta say Nora, that's pretty harsh for you." Sun says.

"I… err… well… he's a great strategist." Nora stumbles.

"It's a lot easier to understand the situation when you're not doing flips or breaking boulders." Jaune states.

" **Are you gonna take that?" Ren asks Jaune.**

" **She's not wrong." Jaune answers, still laying on the counter.**

' _Jaune thinks really lowly of himself.'_ Oscar thinks. _'I already knew it after our talk earlier, but to hear him say it like that…'_

" **I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding." Nora comments. "Don't be so nervous!" Her voice picks up the pace as colour drains from her face. "The worst that can happen is we lose, that is just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria, Ren and I have no parents, we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team Lose-iper!" Her mad laughter turns into sobs as she slams her head on the counter.**

Sun speaks. "What the…"

"Nora. Are you okay?" Blake asks. "Not just emotionally, but… mentally."

"I think so." Nora replies. Not a hint of her other selves depression showing. "Can you honestly say you wouldn't be seriously disappointed if you had ended up losing that first match?"

"Yeah but…" Ruby chimes in. "You seemed a bit… extreme."

"Pretty sure that's how I always am." Nora replies. "You really think I can keep up my over the top personality without the occasional bouts of severe depression."

"That's not funny." Ruby's tone is serious. "You should take this a bit more seriously."

"We've tried medicines." Ren explains. "But she can't fight while taking them, so we developed our own way of handling."

"But you're sure it works?" Yang checks.

"It's great!" Nora practically shouts. "You don't need to worry. Everything is okay."

" **So, yeah, we're feeling pretty good." Ren states.**

" **Don't fret." Pyrrha puts her hands on both Nora and Jaunes shoulders. "If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not, well, ...murderers."**

"That does put things into perspective." Weiss says. "If not for whatever Cinders plans are, we could consider the tournament to be a nice break for us."

"Doesn't really feel like a break when you say it like that." Yang says.

" **Yeah, don't sweat it, we've all faced way worse before." Yang agrees.**

" **Let's see. Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath..." Blake counts them off on her fingers.**

" **And that's all while were still in training!" Ruby excitement is clear. "Oh, imagine what it will be like to graduate!"**

"Someone's eager." Oscar notices. "You really want to be a Huntress that much?"

"Why wouldn't I." Ruby responds. "Huntresses save people, they fight monsters, they make the world a better place."

"You seriously didn't notice in the previous videos?" Yang asks. "It's sorta blatant on Ruby's feelings about this."

"I-I just…" Oscar stutters. _'I want to know more about what it takes to go down that route.'_

" **Maybe then I'll be able to pay for a meal." Weiss mumbles sarcastically to herself.**

" **Would Team JNPR please report to the battlegrounds immediately!" Port is heard over the intercom system.**

" **Yes! Like they were scheduled to, several minutes ago!" Oobleck adds in to Port's order.**

"I guess we got a bit hung up in our meals." Jaune remarks.

" **Well, it looks like this is it." Pyrrha says.**

" **Go get 'em!" Ruby yells to team JNPR as they walk away, Nora still depressed and Jaune looking queasy.**

' _Please don't make a complete fool of yourself.'_ Jaune thinks.

 **Team RWBY enter the Coliseum through one of its tunnels and head to their seats as Emerald and Mercury are seen walking behind them to do the same.**

 **Down in the field below, the scorched ground and cold plains are no more, and only a layer of white mechanics is left, with a central stage on which the two teams gather.**

"Who you think we'll be up against?" Nora asks.

"Probably a team from Atlas or Shade." Pyrrha supplies. "It seems unlikely that we'd end up against a Haven team after the previous fight."

"I'm not sure that's how it works." Sun says. _'Not that I'd be complaining though.'_

" **I wonder who's gonna win." Mercury says through a mouth full of popcorn, having found his seat next to Emerald.**

 ***Tch.* "As if we didn't already know." Emerald responds.**

"You think they've taken our teams doing well into their plans?" Blake asks. "Because if so, it might end up being a good idea to purposely lose."

"Let's not be too hasty." Weiss quickly replies. "We don't know what their plans are. So until we do, we can't know what will be good or bad for us."

"But we can't value our winning over what may be best for everyone." Ruby declares. "No matter what happens, we have to do what's right."

"Fine." Weiss replies. "I doubt we'll be letting them take part in the tournament anyway."

" **Oh, come now." Cinder walks up behind them, wearing a new outfit. "Even if you know how the story ends, that doesn't make it any less fun to watch." She takes an unpopped kernel from Mercury's bucket, and her eyes glow with her fingertips and the kernel finally pops, which she enjoys while sitting down as Mercury and Emerald share a devious smirk.**

"Her power may involve generating heat and/or fire around her." Ren speculates. "There didn't seem to be any way for her to use Dust then."

"Good to know." Pyrrha nods. "Knowing your enemies fighting style is half the battle."

" **Team JNPR of Beacon versus Team BRNZ of Shade!" Port announces over the cheering crowds as the teams stand against each other.**

"Nice guess Pyrrha." Nora congratulates.

"It wasn't much of a guess." Pyrrha replies. "I had a good chance at being right even if the logic didn't work."

 **As each team readies their poses, a circle of holographic roulettes start spinning frantically through various symbols and colours before finally landing on a green pine tree and gray thunderstruck mountain. With these random selections, half of the field opens to reveal a tree-filled forest, while the other raises a small rocky outcropping to fill in the circle.**

"Did that symbol indicate there would be lightning." Jaune points out.

"Well now I don't feel any need to be worried." Nora says. "Not that they had much of a chance before, but this is the icing on the cake."

"That's not how the expression works." Ren says.

" **Three, two, one, begin!" Port announces.**

 **Just as the match starts, the scene freezes and the screen fades to black.**

"Nooo!" Nora yells. "You can't leave us on a cliff-hanger like that!"

"We can keep watching." Oscar reminds her. "I doubt anyone wants to stop now."

 **Music begins as the new opening plays.**

"But first we have the opening." Weiss says. "How good have the previous openings been at showcasing what happens in the volume?"

"Fairly minimal." Ren says. "Though it does seem to be a good indicator on who we'll get to see."

 **A shot of the scattered moon pans down to the forest below as a single rose petal floats into the scene.**

"A reference to Ruby?" Oscar suggest.

"It won't be weird for Ruby to take a big role in this volume." Sun says. "I'm pretty sure she's the main character."

"Don't you mean the whole of team RWBY?" Ruby says.

"Pretty much." Sun agrees. "But you're the team leader, so that makes you the main character by default."

" ** _Maybe red's like roses?"_ The petal falls gently on top of a red rose, but just as it makes contact, the flower is trampled by a lumbering Ursa, followed by a horde of Grimm – Ursai, Creeps, Beowolves and more - charging forward through the mists.**

" ** _Maybe it's the pool of blood."_ The camera zooms on the glowing eyes of the lead monster into the Amity Colosseum.**

"That quickly turned dark." Yang remarks. "And why are we seeing Grimm? Isn't this Volume going to be about the tournament?"

"The Volume could extend beyond the tournament." Blake suggests. "Or Cinder could use Grimm as a distraction again, and we have to leave Vale to deal with them."

"Has that ever happened before?" Jaune asks. "A Grimm incident so big they have to put the tournament on hold to get all available people to fight?"

Blake shakes her head. "It hasn't. It's actually an unwritten rule that no one tries anything during that time. Even criminals follow it because they know that the retribution for going against it would be immense."

" ** _The innocents will lay in, when in the end you've failed to save them_?" The camera shifts its focus to the bottom of the Colosseum where we see Team RWBY, before spinning around in a blur to show Teams SSSN and JNPR, and finally landing on the trio of Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder.**

"So we know all our teams will have a large part this volume, plus Cinder's group." Sun says.

"But those lyrics." Pyrrha notices. "They make it sound like something really bad is going to happen. And the perspective seems to be from someone in Cinder's group."

"But who's it directed to?" Weiss wonders. "One of us possibly?"

"I doubt Cinder pays us that much attention." Yang says. "I'd have to guess Ozpin. Or at least someone aligned with him."

" ** _Their dying eyes, are wide and white like snow. And now they know, the cost of trusting you's obliteration."_ Cinder looks at the camera with her burning eyes as her dress glows golden while flames erupt behind her. The flames unite into the eye of an Ursa, as the creatures overrun Beacon Academy, dashing past the statue of the heroes who stop them and climbing the sides of the central tower.**

"The Grimm must be a metaphor." Jaune completely dismisses the alternative. "It sounds like Cinders plan will be put in action this Volume, so the Grimm here are a metaphor for whatever bad thing overcomes us if she wins."

"Or when she wins." Ren says. "Not to sound pessimistic, but we're here to prevent some catastrophe. So it doesn't seem possible that things will end well."

With that unsettling thought, every person present solidifies their view of the Grimm as metaphors. The alternative being too horrible to think about, but more importantly, something they've all been led to believe is impossible since a young age. They don't even need to consider the thought, it's so instinctual to them.

" ** _Mirrors will shatter"_ Two Nevermores approach the top floor, and it is shown that within the headmaster's office, Ozpin and Goodwitch are only a thin window away from a legion of Grimm pressing their muzzles to the glass. Inside, however, the two teachers only see their reflections, which cracks and shatters to an unpleasant sight.**

"More metaphors." Blake deduces. "What does this mean though?"

"It could be a reference to me." Weiss hypothesises. "But more likely, it means the way we view ourselves will drastically change."

"Wouldn't that me mirrors warping?" Ruby asks.

"Not if the mirror was distorted to begin with." Weiss answers. "Perhaps our initial view on something is wrong, so we need to recontextualise everything."

"Don't put too much weight into the words of a villain." Yang says. "Remember, this is likely from Cinder's perspective."

" ** _Crushed by the weight of the world."_ Outside, the view is of a sky filled with Atlesian aircraft. A zoom-in to the central ship reveals General James Ironwood at the head of rows upon rows of soldiers armed with rifles.**

"Ironwood is going to be involved then." Sun says. "Along with the Atlesian army."

"It's not surprising he would send his forces to fight against Cinder's goals." Jaune says. "We saw how he acted in the previous Volume. What we have to be worried about, is if this is actually one big trap."

"A trap?" Ruby asks.

"What if Cinder caused the breach to get more soldiers to arrive for the tournament." Jaune explains his theory. "It could be considered an opportunity to weaken the Atlas military for some reason. That would mean we've been looking at this the wrong way the entire time."

' _That would fit in with the earlier lyrics.'_ Ren notes this down. "I'll include it in my notes, but we can't be sure about it yet."

"I just want us to consider every possibility." Jaune says.

" ** _The pillars collapse, in, shame."_ Shifting away from the sight of the army, Blake is seen walking through the red leaves of Forever Fall, looking to her left and seeing Adam with his back to her in the distance. Upon closer inspection, however, he is shown to be facing another mass of fighters amidst the trees, and the leader of the White Fang turns around and looks down in thought.**

' _I always knew this was going to happen.'_ Blake thinks, doing the best to hide he pain on her face. _'But why couldn't he have gone back to Mistral? Why couldn't he have rejected whatever Cinder's offer was. Why didn't he? He's not the type of person to be swayed by fortunes. Could their goals really be so compatible? Because if so, I can only imagine it leading to suffering. Both as a means, and an end.'_

" ** _There'll be no rest, there'll be no love."_ Back to the oncoming Grimm, the beasts tear across the plains, but another shot reveals that Teams RWBY and JNPR, leading the army of Atlas soldiers, are running from the opposite side to face their foes, meeting in the middle before Ruby and the leading Ursa collide.**

"This looks like a big final battle to decide everything." Oscar points out. "And if that's so, wouldn't it mean…"

"Both the previous Volumes had scenes like this in the Opening." Ren reminds the younger boy. "And of them, only the second had a final battle involving Grimm."

"It's probably more symbolism, or just a trailer shot kind of thing." Jaune agrees. "I remember I've seen similar things in a bunch of movies. Even when the movies don't involve Grimm. It's sorta a trope."

" ** _There'll be no hero in the end, who will rise above."_ The scene quickly switches to Yang deflecting each of Mercury's kicks with her Gauntlets; Blake whipping her weapon at Adam as he deflects the blow; Weiss countering the blows of Emerald's weapons with Myrtenaster; and Ruby duelling Cinder, Crescent Rose to Dust blades, in a swirl of coloured sparks before a zoom-in on Ruby's determined face cuts away from the action.**

"We know that these matchings might not mean anything. Right?" Ruby confirms.

"If the four of you match of against any of them, it will be in those pairings." Ren states. "But a couple of them probably won't happen, so it's just to fill in space."

" ** _And when it ends, the good will crawl."_ In the streets of Vale, Weiss is seen looking up at an older version of herself who coldly turns and walks away from her sibling.**

"Winter!" Weiss yells, a sudden burst of excitement overcoming her. "That's my sister! That's Winter! She's going to be involved in this Volume!"

"And ideas as to why?" Ruby asks. "Would she be visit you or…"

"She wouldn't come her just for me." Weiss interrupts, so pumped up in her excitement. "I mean. She's a very busy member of the Atlas military. If she's coming to Vale, it's on official business. But she'll definitely visit me while she's here."

' _It sounds like Weiss has at least one good relative.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'That's good. By most forms of measurement, her loneliness would have probably been worse than mine.'_

" ** _The shining light will sink in darkness."_ On the opposite side is where Ruby and Yang are smiling at a man with a rugged red cape, a large bladed sword and a necklace with a crooked cross pendant. This man walks away to the side.**

"Uncle Qrow!" Now it's Ruby's turn to yell in excitement. "Yang, this means Qrow's going to be in Vale for the tournament!"

"Heck yeah!" Yang yells. "I knew we'd see him eventually. It was only a matter of time."

"You think he'll be here to talk to Ozpin?" Ren asks.

"I'd assume so." Ruby remarks. "I don't really know anything about how he works for Ozpin, but that's probably the case."

" ** _Victory for hate incarnate."_ Qrow and Winter meet to exchange a glare.**

"They know each other?" Weiss turns to the siblings. "Did you know anything about this?"

"Not in the slightest." Yang answers while Ruby shakes her head. "It doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't tell us though. He's never gone into exact details about… anything he's done really."

"While me and my sister have spent so little time together in the past few years, she would never have bothered to tell me about some Huntsman he met." Weiss determines. "It's not surprising that we wouldn't know about this vague connection."

"Doesn't it look like they hate each other though." Jaune points out. "They're not exactly smiling."

"Don't worry about it." Yang waves it off. "If I know my uncle, then this will be a… it'll be a grudge, but not one with any serious malice behind it."

"My sister would have no reason to hold a grudge with any respectable Huntsman." Weiss claims. "Soooo…"

"It'll be Qrows fault somehow." Ruby agrees. "Not much point in denying it. He's the type of person to get on the nerves of even good people. Doesn't mean he's bad, just that he's difficult to work with for some people. I can especially see him annoying someone in the military."

"Good to know you're on my side." Weiss says.

"If they end up fighting, I'm rooting for Qrow." Yang points out, with Ruby nodding in agreement. "We're just pointing out how your sister is probably morally in the right."

' _Interesting form of admiration.'_ Weiss thinks. _'But at least it sounds like he's on our side.'_

" ** _Misery and pain for all."_ The look is interrupted as Qrow is distracted by the appearance of a photo blowing in the breeze, showing a younger depiction of himself with his weapon drawn as he stands beside his team - Raven gripping her sword, Taiyang leaning against a tree, and Summer Rose, partially hidden beneath her white cloak.**

"Hold it!" Yang yells. "That's her right? That's a picture of my mother, and she definitely matches with the woman who saved me."

"There are too many similarities to me a coincidence." Ren agrees.

"You think she'll be making an appearance this Volume?" Nora asks.

"I hope so." Yang replies with a hint of ice. "The more information the better." _'I need to know why she left me. Once I know that, I'll be one step closer to figuring out the kind of person I want to be.'_

"Just so we know more about what this means." Ren speaks up. "What exactly is this meant to be?"

"Team STRQ." Ruby replies. "It was comprised of my parents, Yang's mother, and our Uncle."

"Uncle being honorary in your case, right?" Oscar decides to confirm the detail he remembers hearing earlier.

"Technically." Ruby admits. "But he might as well be my Uncle."

" ** _When it falls."_ A zoom-in to Qrow's weapon's clockwork side and turning gears transitions into a black hole pulsing with red energy, which in turn becomes a hole that Teams RWBY and JNPR, falling through the darkness hand-in-hand in a circle. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren disconnect from the girls and are flung elsewhere, while the remaining teammates come together and try to create a smaller ring as Ruby looks around, distressed and worried.**

' _This is bad.'_ Jaune thinks. _'It doesn't take a genius to figure out that's what the opening is trying to convey. This isn't just our first future volume. It's probably where things start to get truly terrible.'_

 **Cut to the view of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang under a single spotlight in a dark place as the floor around them rotates to show each Huntress-in-training looking afraid, reproachful, and defeated. Ruby is the only character looking upwards as the others have their heads hanging in defeat.**

 **The video ends.**

"I'm…" Sun is the first to give his reaction to the opening as a whole. "I'm sorta scared now. What did all of that mean?"

"It means that things have finally begun." Weiss states. "This is the Volume we were brought here for the purpose of seeing. It will contain the catastrophe that was alluded to, and then the video's will be done."

"You really think that?" Yang asks.

"Weiss is probably right." Jaune states. "The other Volumes were probably just to ease us into the idea of watching ourselves like this. Now the video's will finish of by giving us the information we need."

"WORDS!" Nora yells, frantically pointing to the screen.

 **As you have probably noticed, the videos from now on are almost solely focused on events that would have been your future**

"We could have been given some kind of warning." Blake says. "Instead of being totally caught off guard."

 **As such, I must take this opportunity to apologise**

"Apologise?" Ruby questions.

"Perhaps they feel bad about not warning us." Pyrrha proposes.

 **I am so sorry for forcing you all to watch these events happen**

This catches everyone of guard. Until now they had taken to believing that the host didn't want to express its feelings, so this drastic change just left everyone stunned.

 **The reason I am doing this is because it's the only method available to me that can change these events**

"They couldn't do anything else?" Weiss questions. "So they're not just doing this as some sick form of entertainment. They actually want to help us, but are limited by some restrictions?"

 **Prepare yourselves, because the things you will see are not for the faint of heart**

With that dark sense of foreboding, the group is left to only imagine what it could be referring to.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Ruby at her mother's gravestone

Very strong possibility that videos now show future events \- Confirmed

Taiyang Xiao Long makes first appearance, still teaching at Signal, going on a mission soon

Ruby talks about teammates, friends, teachers, beating bad guys

Ruby wonders why Ozpin let her into school, reminds her of Qrow (likely due to affiliation)

About Qrow: acts irresponsible when things are safe, alcoholic, reliable when needed

Zwei is with Tai

Tai dropping Ruby of at tournament before mission

Scene changes to tournament start, RWBY Vs ABRN

Port and Oobleck (as announcers) explain rules

Tournament matches are unlikely to be repeated for our timeline

Blake fights Reese – gets upper hand

Yang fights Arslan – takes heavy blows

Nadir frozen in place without weapon due to Ruby

Bolin fails sneak attack on Ruby due to Weiss

New song starts – about Weiss, defiance

Ruby and Weiss fight Bolin, he gets away

Bolin throws fire crystal to Reese

Reese uses Dust to free Nadir and fight Blake more

Blake retreats, sets up trap, Reese falls for it, kicked out of bounds (double knockout)

Aura levels shown, RWBY at advantage

Weiss traps guys in ice fist (ice ball)

Arslan frees guys

Weiss prepares structure, entire team takes part in attack that knocks all enemies out

RWBY wins

RWBY hungry at fairgrounds, go to get some food

Weiss gets call from father, doesn't answer (Current Weiss suspect motives)

Emerald hands Ruby dropped (probably stolen) wallet

Cinders group advanced to next round, confirmed that Neo is other teammate

Emerald reveals that she and Mercury are moving forwards, uses to bait RWBY's nominees

Cinder and Neo hiding themselves as much as possible? They don't need to do well in tournament?

Our Pyrrha thinks that Emerald and Mercury would win against Yang and Weiss

Emerald leaves with Mercury, expresses need to know about who RWBY sends forwards. Needs them specifically or wants to know about all teams?

RWBY goes to food stand, Weiss decides to pay, card declined due to being cut off from money

JNPR arrives, joins, Pyrrha pays for meals

Strong evidence that these really are future events

JNPR about to take part in their fight, leaves for fight

Is us doing well in tournament part of Cinders plans? We need to know so we can act to cause least damage. (Hopefully can beat them before then though)

Cinder's Semblance involves heat?

JNPR vs BRNZ of Shade

Video ends at start of fight

Opening:

Must remember that openings aren't always completely accurate

Reference to roses, a rose gets trampled by Grimm hoard

Lyrics are pessimistic, references to death

Possibility of Volume extending beyond tournament or another Grimm incident that forces tournament to go on hold

Song probably from Cinder's perspective, likely directed at Ozpin

Grimm as a metaphor, them invading Beacon likely means overwhelming students with despair

Cinders plan may come to fruition this Volume, other us losing is likely inevitable

'Mirrors will shatter' initial self analysis might be false, need to recontextualise

Was all of this to lure Ironwoods forces to Vale so an attack can be launched on them specifically?

Blake will likely have confrontation with Adam

Must remember that videos appear as repurposed entertainment. Some things will just be to create hype

Possible future fights: Yang vs Mercury, Blake vs Adam, Weiss vs Emerald, Ruby vs Cinder

Weiss's sister Winter will be involved in this volume

Ruby and Yang's uncle Qrow as well

Qrow and Winter seem to know and dislike each other

Swordswoman confirmed as Yang's mother, possibility of another appearance

Very bleak imagery

This is likely the last volume

Host addresses us, apologises, expresses this is the only way to help us

We should expect very disturbing things in the future

* * *

 **Weiss's (secret) Notes:**

Our opponents for this fight are the members of Team ABRN from Haven.

Reese primarily went up against Blake, she has a hoverboard that doubles as twin pistols (it would be best to separate her from it rather than simply hit it) Her hoverboard can incorporate Dust to give her advantages depending on the type, but she doesn't seem to bring any with her into the battle. Blake primarily went up against her and ended up winning without using even half of her Aura so that matchup seems good. Chance of going to doubles: Relatively low

Arslan is a hand to hand fighter, she primarily fought Yang and has a much more practiced style. In terms of physical strength she is slightly stronger than Yang at high Aura. Due to how the selection prosses for leader is in Haven, it can be assumed that she is the most troublesome member of the team. Avoid letting her strike any member except Yang, previous strategy was likely a good one regardless of if it was improvised. Chance of going to doubles: Practically certain (Also singles)

Nadir is a ranged fighter, he did not primarily go against anyone since he was trapped in ice for the earliest half of the battle and was soundly defeated in the latter. Seems to have a loose grip on his weapon that can be easily taken advantage of. Chance of going to doubles: Near Zero

Bolin is a staff user, he primarily went up against me and Ruby. He has a knack for dodging and blocking but didn't seem to take his opportunities to attack back. He did play a big role in thinking fast on his feet though. Chance of going to doubles: Very High

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I may have made some assumptions about what Summer Rose was like. But I'm relatively confident that there shouldn't me any major problems with it.**

 **Regarding the woman at Pyrrha's memorial: for now I am assuming it's her mother, but I will put off mentioning it for as long as possible.**

 **The full version of When it Falls will be available to them after V3C9**

 **Yang's note will be revealed at some point in this volume. If people can give me good ideas then I may listen to them. If not, it will likely be in the finale.**

 **Did I insert too much personality to the hosts message at the end? It doesn't seem like much but it does make it seem more like an individual rather that an unknown force.**

 **One problem I didn't expect to run into when writing this fic is forgetting which details I've included and which I've only imagined including somewhere later down the line. And I can't really check the entire story all the time to be sure.**

 **I'm only going to mention this once, but I found a RWBY watches RvB fic by RedSpartan that was inspired by my story. It's pretty good but rough around the edges. Read it if you're interested in that kinda thing.**

 **I now have more followers than Class 78th Watches the Future. How did that happen? That was the story that inspired me to write this. In all honesty it must be because RWBY fanfics are more popular than Danganronpa fanfics.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	36. V3: C2: New Challengers

**For those who saw last chapter very early, it now has Ren's notes and something extra at the end.**

 **Review Notes:**

 **I don't like OC's either. We read fanfics because they show the characters and worlds we love in different situations that can entertain us in the absence of more material. This is also why I dislike OCC characters, if they act so radically different then it's an original story where the names resemble characters from a good piece of work. (exceptions exist)**

 **I'm still mulling over how Jaune will/would react to his evident self improvement in later volumes. But I know he'll be really excited and relieved when his Semblance is revealed.**

 **Despite how strong evidence may be, I can't confirm Bumblebee in this fic until we have hard evidence in the show.**

 **I have a plan for how they react to certain things, but there may be a little suspension of disbelief in order to facilitate what I believe will make the most entertaining payoff. Last chapter, them disregarding the possibility of the Grimm launching a truly successful attack is part of that suspension of disbelief. While it might be nice to have them figure things out earlier, it will probably be better to see their expectations shatter as they witness the unimaginable.**

 **I think I have a good idea of when Yang will show the letter now. Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions.**

 **Weiss doesn't notice if the songs are in her voice, none of them do. I will not be addressing this problem at all. I leave it in a state of "Doesn't matter for the story, so it's overlooked".**

 **While I'm excited for parts like Pyrrha's death, I'm also dreading it because there's no way I can meet everyone's expectations. And the moment is so important for this fic, I don't know if I will have the words to properly convey what everyone will feel.**

 **Oscar will be getting training later on. I'm just not decided what will be the deciding factor in him pushing himself to take that step. It should probably before Volume 4 starts, because it says more about him if he decides to help before he understands how involved he is. Suggestions?**

 **I'll admit that when Yang injured Mercury, the actions she took in her head might not perfectly line up with what she does in the video footage. But I can just write the events as if they do fit. The videos they watch will not have any inconsistencies, other than the jokes that are clearly just that.**

 **I've gone back and fixed any Wiess/Weiss problems. They may appear in new chapters though, for some reason they don't always show up on my spellcheck.**

 **If anything happens with the CRWBY, like voice actors changing, it won't effect this fic. They still hear the same person as before.**

 **I really do want to make a Yang vs Tifa Omake, but at the same time I would always rather do the next real chapter than slow down and figure that out.**

 **I consider react fics to be one of the best forms of sadism. No one actually gets hurt, not even the fictional characters we care about. But we still get those juicy reactions to horrible events. And we can justify everything by saying the characters are better of having seen the horrific events because they are now better equipped to prevent it. Though with how much I love these characters, it might be more accurate to call it masochism.**

 **I've seen a lot of reaction videos on youtube. And in my experiences, larger groups aren't necessarily more likely to come to the right conclusions. One person says something, and soon enough everyone else considers it a fact, forgetting to explore other possibilities. So the moment someone suggests that the Grimm were a metaphor, it fit with everyone's beliefs close enough that no one challenged it. Eventually everyone will act like Grimm being metaphors is stated fact rather than remember that it all stems from a speculation. This is useful, because it means the truth can hit them harder when it comes.**

 **Let's not assume every bird that appears in the show is secretly either Qrow or Raven.**

 **I believe Rooster Teeth has confirmed at least one member of RWBY is LGBT, but I'm not sure. As I've said before, my ship teasing will purely consist of actions that can be very easily taken platonically. If you don't want to see unconfirmed ships, you don't have to.**

 **In the opening, Pyrrha is the first to leave the falling circle, and that is a bit of foreshadowing. But the rest of JNPR leaves the circle too, so the viewers haven't noticed it. (not many people did before knowing what happens to Pyrrha)**

 **If I think something will get more than half my viewers mad at me, I don't do it. Especially if I don't want to do it. This is why no RWBY fans will be appearing in the room to talk with them. Ideas like that are okay to inspire within my audience though, half the joy of reading fanfics is to create small internal alternate scenarios.**

 **I'm going all the way with this fic, I've said it plenty of times. Do I have to post it somewhere specific to make sure new fans don't keep asking me this question?**

 **I didn't bring up the Nora and Ren have no parents subject because I don't know how to handle it, and now isn't the time.**

 **Arkos will stay a thing in this fic regardless of what happens in the show. (I seriously doubt anything could ever change my mind on that.)**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: LogicalFallacies for pointing out my mistake with the timeline of the Vytal festival. Corrections like that are always appreciated. (Remember everyone, I'm looking for corrections and ideas for future reactions. Positive feedback is great, but it doesn't actually improve my story.)**

* * *

The entire group sits in silence. The hosts warning weighing heavy on their minds.

Before, many of them had been excited about the idea of seeing their future. Once they started seeing their future actions, they were mostly thrilled about getting to watch themselves in the tournament.

But then the opening had played, and the true nature of the volume was revealed.

The final straw was the hosts message. It was worried for them. It had practically told them that they may not be able to handle seeing the events that they had no choice but to watch.

"So… what now?" Nora asks.

"Is everyone fine with watching the next video?" Ruby answers with a question. "If anyone's unsure about watching this… we can at least give them some time."

All the hunters in training give their consent, but Oscar feels the need to say some things.

"It's going to be really bad, but that's all the more reason you need to see it." And with that, he presses on the remote.

Ruby is about to ask why, but she decides not to press the issue.

 **Before you begin, I noticed that you may have troubles referring to certain people in this video and future ones**

 **Therefore, a parchment listing all the tournament contestants, with pictures, is now available under Oscars seat**

"Wha…?" Oscar looks under his seat to find there is in fact a parchment.

"That's useful." Ren admits. "It would have been difficult taking notes on people when we don't know their names.

"Who are the members of team BRNZ?" Weiss asks. "They're the ones JNPR is about to face against."

"Brawnz Ni, he has hair slicked to his side. Roy Stallion, dreadlocks. Nolan Porfirio, lightest skin. May Zedong, the girl." Oscar lists them of with a minimalist description.

"You could be a bit clearer." Blake says.

"It's good enough." Ren retorts. "I just need to be able to match them initially."

 **Volume 3: Chapter 2: New Challengers…**

"More tournament matches then." Jaune says.

"We already knew that." Yang says. "Remember how the last video ended?"

"We were about to win against BRNZ!" Nora cheers.

"We were about to fight them." Pyrrha clarifies.

 **After the opening, the scene starts on the familiar shot of Team JNPR readying themselves against their opponents in the Amity Colosseum, the mountains to their back and forest on the other side.**

' _I should still take notes on BRNZ.'_ Weiss thinks. 'Though admittedly, this fight won't be as useful since it won't show how they would fight against our team.'

" **3... 2... 1..." Professor Port counts down.**

" **Come on guys!" Jaune raises his sword.**

" **BEGIN!" Port yells, and with that the match starts.**

"You can do it!" Ruby cheers.

""Yeah!"" Yang, Blake, and Nora join in.

 **All four members of JNPR charge forward, but only three fighters from BRNZ do the same; May turns around and heads into the trees, cocking her weapon.**

"Looks like they have a sniper." Sun points out.

"It's good to see someone else appreciates long range weapons." Ruby crosses her arms smugly.

"Ruby?" Jaune chimes in. "Don't get me wrong, but… you barely ever fight at long range."

"That's because my opponents always close the distance." Ruby complains. "So I had to modify Crescent Rose so her sniper parts still work effectively at close range."

 **In the centre of the field, Brawnz delivers a knee kick to Pyrrha's shield that sends her skidding back, right before she blocks the claws on his fists with her weapon. She jerks her sword away and makes him leap back, just as the sniper jumps up into the branches of the forest with the bladed butt of her sniper rifle.**

' _It's interesting to see my future self fight.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I've seen plenty recordings of myself in the Mistral Regional Tournaments, but then I knew what I had done and should have done better. The person I'm watching now it more experienced than be, though only by a little.'_

 **Ren readies his StormFlower to attack Nolan, who almost gets blindsided by Nora's swing with Magnhild before he ducks under the attack and attempts to hit her with his cattle prod. The sniper girl finally takes aim from her spot and manages to fire off two rounds near Ren, destroying the rocks behind him.**

Yang whistles. "Would not want to get hit by that."

"The entire centre of the battlegrounds is dangerous." Jaune muses. "We'd be best taking a defensive position… Wait no, evasion. The snipers too powerful to hide behind landscape."

"Didn't you say you say you were the least useful member of your team?" Oscar asks. "Because it doesn't sound like it now."

"I'm not nearly as good at fighting." Jaune says, but he can't hide his brightened expression.

' _You did that on purpose.'_ Pyrrha takes a glance at Oscar. _'Thank you.'_

 **Jaune manages to block the Buzzsaw gloves of Roy Stallion with his own shield before he notices the bullets flying and sees the glint of the gun in the leaves.**

" **R-R-Retreat!" Jaune yells, wide-eyed and stumbling over his own order.**

 **Ren glances back at his leader as a shot hits the ground by his feet. He and Nora start running back into the mountains as Jaune and Pyrrha cover their escape by blocking the bullets with their shields. The four leap over a rocky outcropping for cover.**

"That should buy us some time." Jaune says. "But my other self isn't thinking fast enough, they need to keep their distance from each other, move as much as possible."

" **What do we do?" Pyrrha asks Jaune as projectiles keep coming overhead.**

 **Jaune looks over the edge to see the melee fighters closing in. "Spread out! Try to keep moving!" His team follows this just as Brawnz lands a punch on Jaune's shield.**

"Nice one." Yang compliments. "Already figuring out what future you would say."

"It's what I would do in that position." Jaune shrugs.

"Well, yeah…" Nora stresses. "That's exactly what it is."

 **May gets even higher in the tree and smiles from behind her scope as she looks at the fight below. Brawnz and Pyrrha continue to duke it out while Nolan slowly advances on Ren when he slides into his path.**

 **The prod-wielding warrior looks back at the trees and nods to his hidden ally, who shoots at Ren's feet again and makes him jump around trying to dodge them. Just as he lands, Nolan hits him upside the head with his weapon.**

' _Fighting two people at the same time means he can't prepare for the next move.'_ Jaune thinks. _'I guess that means I'll have to ensure he only fights one on one when we get to the tournament.'_

 **Disorientated, Ren fails at a retaliatory kick, receiving another blow to the knee and a final hit to the chest using the business end of his prod. Electricity shoots through Ren's body before he collapses to the ground beside his childhood friend.**

"I guess we know what comes next." Ruby smiles, with the others chuckling or wincing in predicted sympathy.

Oscar just looks around at the others, confused by how they're acting.

"Just watch." Blake informs him. "What comes next will probably be very… impactful."

" **Ren!" In retribution, Nora takes a swing at Nolan, who promptly dodges it and again unleashes his weapon's power into her corset, though this causes a quite different reaction from the grinning redhead.**

"I always love to see that look on their faces when they realise they messed up." Nora grins. "I just wish it would work more than once."

" **Oh-ho! Looks like one of my favourite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her Semblance!" Port comments.**

" **What?" Nolan looks up at the hologram screen with a panicked look.**

"That's it! That's the look!" Nora yells.

" **Yes, Ms. Valkyrie's Semblance lets her produce, as well as channel, electrical energy straight to her muscles!" Oobleck explains. "This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send the young man flying!"**

"Weird how they decided to explain it." Weiss says.

"Also how Oobleck predicts what happens next." Sun says.

"Was it ever going to end any other way?" Yang asks rhetorically.

" **What?!" Nolan turns back to look at his opponent.**

 **Nolan finally takes his cattle prod away, but the damage is done. Nora flexes her arms as pink lightning is seen coursing through her body. Nolan attempts to lift his hands up in surrender, but thunder starts sparking from Nora's Aura as she rushes at him. They impact in a small burst of energy as the hammer hits head-on and Nolan bounces back across the field, crashing through a rock and staying there when he's stopped moving.**

"No buzzer?" Ruby notices. "I guess that means you were holding back."

"Not a chance." Nora replies. "It only means his weapon didn't have much charge… plus he's probably just about to run out."

"That just seems unfair." Oscar mumbles quietly.

"Everyone's Semblance gives them some major advantage." Weiss explains. "It's simply a matter of using it properly."

Jaune's shoulders slag, and Pyrrha gives Weiss a quick glare before calming herself down.

 **Jaune looks back at the mountaintop on his team's side as a dark storm cloud appears over it, crackling with lightning. He looks over at his energized teammate. "Nora! Get to the mountain!"**

" **You got it!" Nora salutes, then sprints off to start her climb.**

"Looks like we've got a definitive win condition." Jaune notices. "I can't imagine us ever loosing if Nora gets fully charged."

"You could probably win even without that." Blake points out. "As long as you deal with the sniper, it's probably a matter of time until you whittle them down."

" **Ren! Try and distract the sniper!" Jaune orders.**

 **As another shot nearly misses Ren's head, he slouches, sarcastically replying. "Sure... Why not."**

"Sorry Ren." Jaune apologises. "She's the only one capable of stopping Nora."

"I understand." Ren replies, writing down only the key details of the fight. "It's what needs to be done."

 **The remaining three members of JNPR run forward as Nora hops up and rapidly ascends the mountain. Roy throws the saws from his gloves into Jaune's shield, which still manages to slam the leader's own defence in his face before the weapons return back to their master. Pyrrha gets up close to him, and he delivers a series of spinning swings with his arms into her shield as Jaune shakes off his disorientation and charges into battle yet again.**

"Yeah! Go get 'em, Jaune!" Ruby cheers.

" **Yeah! Go get 'em, Jaune!" Ruby cheers from her seat in the stands with the rest of Team RWBY**

"Ha!" Nora laughs.

"Loos like someone hasn't changed much." Yang grins to her sister.

"It's only one month!" Ruby complains. "Besides, this was bound to happen to one of us eventually."

"You can be sure it won't happen to me." Weiss states smugly. " _I_ don't have a tendency to pretend I'm actually in the show."

"But that's what makes it fun." Ruby pouts. "How can you get invested if you don't act like it's all real?"

"Maybe the fact that it is real, after a fashion." Blake suggests.

"Or the fact you actually know us all." Yang adds. "That's a pretty good reason to care about what happens to us."

"Bad example!" Ruby complains. "You know what I mean."

" **Well, he's certainly improved." Weiss notices.**

" **Yeah, but he ain't got nothing on Pyrrha!" Yang states.**

' _It's not as if I ever expect to catch up with Pyrrha.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Right now, I want to be the best team member I can be, and use that to make a positive difference in the world.'_

 **Back in the fight, Yang's statement is proven true with Pyrrha taking on both Brawnz and Roy, delivering a kick to one as she deftly dodges and blocks the discs of the other, throwing her javelin to distract the latter while she somersaults back to use both feet in landing a blow on Brawnz.**

"You really are a step above the rest of us." Sun remarks.

"It's not that big a deal." Pyrrha dismisses. "It's like how Ruby specialises in fighting Grimm, I happen to be well trained against other people." _'In some ways I'm jealous of her, having her specialisation in something that's considered far more important.'_

 **May attempts to shoot Ren while he dashes his way toward her position, leaping out of the way of her shots, the flying saws, and even sliding under Pyrrha before he runs at Nolan, weapons blasting until he's close enough to start swinging his blades away. He ducks and deflects each of the cattle prod's attempted hits until he manages to hold it in the pistol's blades and double kicks his opponent, giving him the opportunity to catch Nolan's weapon in his own as the prod is forced behind Nolan's head and leaves him trapped. Ren hides behind the teammate of the sniper, who stops aiming at him and lifts her barrel up to another target.**

"Not the smartest move." Jaune comments. "Don't get me wrong, you did great. But you forced her to change targets, which is exactly what we didn't want."

"Sorry." Ren apologises. "I was probably acting on instinct, or thought I could aim my guns while Nolan struggled."

"It would usually have been very helpful." Jaune admits. "Especially with your role on the team. Just try to understand what we need at the time, rather than doing what usually works best."

" **Nora!" Ren gives out a warning as he struggles to keep Nolan in place.**

 **Jaune notices this predicament as he catches Brawnz's claws with his blade while Nora lifts herself higher and higher to the top. "Pyrrha! Up!"**

' _Is that where Jaune's true strength lies?'_ Weiss wonders. _'Understanding everything that's happening in the battlefield and ensuring everyone's efforts give the maximum contribution.'_ It's an aspect of battle she'd never really considered before, not just being a leader, but a commander. _'I can't be sure that's what Ozpin saw in him, but it's certainly something worth thinking about.'_

 **Jaune's partner rushes towards him, dodge rolling to avoid a launched saw until she bounds over Brawnz and lands on Jaune's shield. He manages to throw her into the air with her own shield raised to block the kill-shot aimed at Nora.**

"Nice timing." Ruby congratulates. "How do you do that by the way? You always seem to have perfect timing."

"I just follow my instincts." Pyrrha replies. "Besides, Jaune was the one to launch me up."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little bit of luck involved there." Jaune admits.

 **This gives Nora just enough time reach the peak, and she lifts her hammer up as a bolt of lightning hits the weapon directly.**

' _We may as well just call the match now.'_ Yang thinks. _'I'm sure a good enough team could scramble a victory, but I seriously doubt BRNZ is that good.'_

 **Nora changes her hammer back into grenade-launching form and pops the front off to reveal six explosives that shoot out over the field in a heart-shaped formation onto the sniper. The poor girl barely has time to gawk before she leaps over to another tree just as the one she was on and many near it go up in pink flames, leaving only a giant scorch mark billowing smoke to block out the coughing sniper's view. She jumps down from the branches just as her three teammates look up and behind them at Nora coming down on them like a meteor, slamming her hammer into the ground and sending the enemies back at the feet of their disoriented teammate.**

"You single-handedly changed the layout of the arena." Sun gawks.

"It happens." Nora smiles. "I'm just glad the Beacon repair team is so competent."

"The day Goodwitch finds out you call her that, is the day you get detention for a month." Ren groans.

" **This is it, guys! Let's finish 'em with team attacks!" Jaune raises his sword as he calls out. "Ren! Nora! Flower Power!"**

" **Wait, what?" Nora displays her confusion.**

"Seriously!?" Jaune yells. "You can't remember!"

"She seems pretty forgetful." Nora muses.

Jaune presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Please tell me you haven't forgotten."

"About…"

"I literally gave you all the clues you need!" Jaune shouts.

 **Jaune lowers his blade as he looks back at his befuddled team. "F-Flower Power." His lost friends shrug. "That's your team attack name!"**

" **Since when?" Ren asks.**

"Not you too?" Jaune groans. "Nora I sorta expected, but seriously Ren?"

"I can't remember anything about team attack names." Ren replies.

"We had a meeting." Jaune stresses. "Pyrrha, back me up here."

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologises.

Jaune slouches. "Unbelievable."

"You sure you didn't dream it?" Nora asks.

"Of course I'm sure!" Jaune snaps back. "I had it written down and everything."

"Where?" Ren asks.

"It was…" Jaune's eyes widen as he recalls the memory. "Emerald."

"Wha?" Nora asks.

"She was sitting next to me that day." Jaune grouses. "That explains why I keep losing things."

' _Perhaps not the only reason.'_ Nora keeps her mouth firmly shut.

" **Guys, we've been over this!" Jaune gestures at his teammates, not noticing the other team getting up, ready to fight again. "Flower Power is Ren and Nora! Ren brings a flower, Nora brings the power!"**

"I think I remember hearing that at one point." Nora recalls.

Jaune's ayes widen, and he starts to form a smile.

"I also remember a really good tasting Pancake though, so I thought it was to do with that."

Jaunes expression suddenly turns bitter again.

" **How do I bring a flower?" Ren rubs the back of his head with one of his guns**

" **No, silly, not a flower! Flour, like in baking!" Nora says**

" **Why would I bring that?" Ren asks.**

" **I- Uh- No, it's your symbol!" Jaune struggles with the sudden break in battle flow.**

"Are you going to… fight?" Ruby suggests.

"This isn't that bad of an argument Ruby, no need to worry." Jaune assures her.

"That's good." Ruby nods. "But I mean fight the other team."

The complete absurdity of the situation hits Jaune like a brick. "I cannot be blamed for my future self's actions."

" **So, what are we?" Pyrrha asks**

" **Pyrrha!" Jaune complains.**

" **Sorry! I just want to make sure it's clearly defined." Pyrrha says.**

" **Pyrrha, you and I are Arkos. It's that thing when we take our shields? Remember?" Jaune tries to be patient while Team BRNZ looks more confused than their opponents.**

"Seems like BRNZ is just as confused." Blake mentions.

"This is either excessively stupid, or overly confident." Weiss berates. "If our team ever ends up talking so much in a battle, there needs to be a punishment."

"Yep." Ruby nods in agreement. "Give me some time and I'll think of a good one."

 **"Arkos?" Pyrrha sounds disappointed with the name.**

" **Yeah! It's our names put together!" Jaune explains.**

" **Right, no, I get it..." Pyrrha says**

" **What, do you not like it?" Jaune asks.**

" **No, no! It's... good?" Pyrrha's word choice isn't the most positive.**

" **Mmm, I sense hesitation." Nora comments.**

"Gotta admit, RWBY's team attacks sound better." Sun says.

"That's not fair." Jaune complains. "They're much more colour coordinated than us. Weiss and Yang even get to base themselves on temperatures."

" **Hey!" Brawnz calls out to his opponents. "What do you think you're doing!?"**

" **Trying to have a team meeting, thank you very little!" Jaune dismisses them.**

" **Yeah! Team ears only!" Nora points to her own ears to demonstrate.**

"Just be quiet." Jaune calmly orders the room, as a few people struggle to hold back a chuckle.

 **Brawnz looks at his shrugging teammates before he goes back to yelling. "WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT!"**

" **AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION! WHAT DON'T YOU GET ABOUT THAT!?" Jaune yells back.**

' _And here I was thinking we'd be done with watching me be stupid.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Will it ever end?'_

" **Um, Jaune?" Pyrrha says.**

" **Yes, Pyrrha?" Jaune still has an annoyed tone.**

" **I think that he means that we're all in the middle of a fight." Pyrrha explains.**

 **The sound of the crowds around them come back in full volume as Jaune remembers the real situation.**

"And it's at the most watched event ever." Jaune groans. "I know one change we have to make."

" **Ugh..." Jaune puts the flat of his sword up to his forehead in exasperation. "Nora, just... hit them with the hammer."**

 **Nora gives an eerily evil smirk. "Got it."**

"That really going to be enough?" Oscar asks.

"Just watch." Yang points to the screen.

" **Wait, what?!" Brawnz asks. But before anyone can react, Nora jumps over in front of Team BRNZ, then brings her hammer around to collide with all four screaming fighters as they soar straight into the forcefield surrounding the arena's rim, sliding down to the ground with arms and legs in bent positions they really shouldn't be.**

"Round won!" Nora cheers. "Nice work team!"

Jaune sighs. "Yeah. We did good."

" **And with that, it appears Team JNPR wins by knockout, literally!" Port announces. "...Can someone go make sure they're okay?"**

"I am slightly worried." Pyrrha says. "You already hit one of them once. He might not have had enough Aura to stop real damage."

"Not to worry." Weiss assures everyone. "The Vytal festival has excellent medics covering the event. Nothing short of a dismemberment will have any lasting damage."

"Has that ever happened?" Sun asks.

"Once." Ruby recalls the videos she's been studying. "But that was clearly an accident, and the guy was compensated a then top of the line prosthetic as way of an apology."

 **Meanwhile, in a different setting, the appropriately-named Crow Bar has a single customer that is exceedingly familiar to a couple of sisters.**

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yells.

"Hell yeah!" Yang joins in.

"Interesting how we see him so soon." Blake points out.

' _Could we see Winter this chapter.'_ Weiss hopes.

"Hold on a moment." Yang looks closely at the screen. "I know that place, it's in Vales boardwalk."

"He's in Vale?" Pyrrha says. "Why hasn't he met up with you two yet? Or is it possible he has?"

"I doubt the videos would miss anything so important." Jaune says. "Or at least, as long as it's from the perspective of one of us."

"Also, it's not strange for Qrow to head strait for the nearest bar." Yang says. "Gotta congratulate him on finding one so appropriately named."

"Is drinking all he does?" Weiss asks with a hint of bitterness.

"He handles it usually." Ruby says, "It really depends on his current state of mind."

 **Qrow gulps down a glass, leaving it alongside a collection that have been gathering on the counter.**

' _I seriously hope this is a bad day for him.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Qrow looks up to see the announcement of JNPR's victory being played on a nearby screen.**

" **Huh, those kids weren't half bad!" The bartender comments as he wipes the surface of a glass in his hands.**

"Support!" Nora cheers.

"At least he didn't say anything about how we messed up." Jaune says.

 **Qrow merely lets out a "Meh" as he raises another beverage to his lips.**

"High standards much?" Sun asks.

"Very high." Yang confirms. "He's always pushing us to do better. Says we're too sheltered to know what a real fight is like."

"Wait until he finds out what we've accomplished." Ruby beams. "How will he react?"

"He'll have something bad to say." Yang shrugs. "This is Qrow we're talking about."

 **The scene flashes to a blue background with white particles gathering into the united tournament symbol of the four kingdoms as it revolves to the left of Oobleck, back in the announcer's box. "Ah, well, Vacuo fans are sure to be hurting after that one, but this next one will have them on the edge of their seats!"**

"We don't know anyone representing Vacuo, do we?" Pyrrha asks.

"I don't think so." Weiss replies.

" **Team NDGO of Shade is certainly a crowd favourite, but these lovely ladies are going against some of the toughest, testosterone-filled teammates we've seen so far!" Port introduces the new fighters as a picture of them appears to his right.**

"Well…" Sun leans back his arms to stretch. "I think we all know who he's talking about."

"I haven't the slightest idea." Blake dismisses.

"Since it seems we'll be seeing their match, I should probably name the members of NDGO." Oscar says. "Nebula Violette, Indigo hair. Dem Gayl, blonde. Gwen Darcy, black hair. Octavia Ember, redhead."

"Thanks, that's useful." Ren says.

" **I'm of course talking about... Team SSSN!" Port finishes. The camera cuts to the view of a few spectators in the stands holding up signs with each male's face decorated with hearts, the exception being a simple image of a certain set of abs. "Sun Wukong and his team are certainly a force to be reckoned with, and although he'll be representing the Mistral Academy of Haven, I'm sure his friends and family back in Vacuo will be cheering him along!" Team SSSN walks into the centre of the field, waving to the cheering crowds as they do so.**

"Nice to know we get to see some of my matches." Sun smiles. "Hope we get to see how we do in the doubles too."

"That's assuming you make it that far." Ruby says. "Who are you planning on sending?"

"Still undecided." Sun admits. "But we think it's probably going to be me and Neptune."

' _I'm the only one who doesn't know, so I'd better check.'_ Oscar looks at the pamphlet. _'Sun's other team members are Sage and Scarlet.'_

 **Weiss cups her hands to sweetly call out. "Good luck, Neptune!"**

 **Neptune continues his waving until he spots his four beautiful opponents, which causes him to develop a confident attitude as he addresses them. "Ladies."**

Weiss's eye twitches. "Sun. Tell me honestly. What is the chance me and Neptune can maintain a relationship without him acting like this ever again?"

"It's unlikely." Sun admits. "I doubt he could do so, especially once we've gone back to Haven."

Weiss sighs. _'Perhaps this was never meant to last. If he insists on disgracing me by acting so thoughtlessly, it might be best that…'_ She takes a deep breath. _'It might be best that we end things sooner rather than later.'_

 **Weiss is shocked as this simple word turns her shaking with rage until she angrily gets up and points into the arena. "Break his stupid face, NDGO!"**

"Should have expected that." Ruby shrugs. "I'm honestly surprised present you didn't yell."

"I've been thinking about things." Weiss replies. "And while I am certainly mad, this has just helped confirm something I've been slowly learning while watching the videos."

"What?" Ren asks.

"It's nothing important." Weiss assures him. "Just some personal matters."

' _I had been wondering how long it would be until Weiss hits her breaking point.'_ Yang thinks. _'She lasted longer than expected.'_

 **After a short pause, Neptune addresses his opponents again. "Alright, girls, try and remember, hands above the waist."**

" **Ignore him, for he..." Sun grasps Neptune's arm as he apologizes. "Yeah, he's dumb."**

"I thought he was the intellectual." Oscar says.

"He is." Sun says. "But he can also be really dumb at times like this."

 **Neptune simply gives a sparkling wink to the disgusted females as the holographic roulette shows up again, landing on a yellow image of sunny dunes and stone formations until the real thing emerges from below. A small circular light even appears overhead, causing most of the crowd to don sunglasses.**

"That landscape seems pretty Vacuo." Blake says. "You think your team can win?"

"I'll admit it makes things a bit harder." Sun says. "But I can hadle it fine, and we can always fight in the other half."

" **Alright! Home field advantage!" Nebula laughs as she looks back at their selection.**

" **Don't get too cocky!" Sun says. "That's my turf, too!"**

" **I hope I don't get sand in my shoes." Scarlet looks down at his attire as the roulette begins again on the other side.**

" **Be cool, man." Neptune whispers to Scarlet.**

"Yep." Sun nods. "We'll definitely be retreating to our side. Hopefully they don't have many ranged attackers."

" **Hey! The ocean!" Dew reacts to the symbol the roulette lands on.**

"Well fuck." Sun swears. "Of all the things it could be…"

"You have a problem with the ocean?" Ruby asks.

"Not me." Sun replies. "And we aren't meant to give things away early right? So I'll just… let you see for yourselves."

" **Huh?" Neptune turns to sees the random pick for himself, eyes dilated at his goggles reflect the terrifying image, a slight whimper escaping him.**

" **Uhh, what's wrong with Neptune?" Ruby asks her teammates.**

' _Wow that was close.'_ Ruby thinks. _'I was about to say the exact same thing. Certainly don't want that happening again.'_

" **Oh, no." Blake's face is in her hand, unable to look as the sandy beach and pirate shipwreck rises into the arena while Neptune stiffens up with fear until she confides to a surprised Yang. "Neptune's ... afraid of the water."**

"Seriously?!" Nora half laughs, half yells. "Isn't he named after the ocean?"

"It's complicated." Sun answers. "Saying anything would be a breach of privacy but… damn it! This messes everything us!"

"You don't think you can win?" Pyrrha asks.

"I don't know?!" Sun growls in frustration. "I just know this will make things a lot harder."

" **3, 2, 1…" Oobleck counts down as the fighters stand ready, except for Neptune who's stood still as a statue.**

"Is he going to be like that the entire match?" Yang asks.

"It's entirely possible." Sun admits. "But, probably not."

" **BEGIN!" As soon as the word is said, Neptune zooms through the enemy team and skids up the mountain behind them.**

" **Neptune, what are you doing?!" Sage calls out to his feeing teammate.**

"I don't think I've ever seen him run that fast." Sun remarks.

" **Uh, you know, just gaining the higher ground!" Neptune calls down from the edge of the desert mountain.**

"Often a good idea when you have a ranged weapon." Ruby admits.

" **On the enemy's side?!" Sun yells exasperatedly.**

"Thankfully you've never done something like that." Weiss says. "You should never fight a group lie that while so separated."

"Isn't that what you did for your fight though?" Oscar asks.

"That was us matching up with our opponents individually." Blake explains. "In this situation it's too easy for them to gang up on Neptune."

"If we win this, it'll be a miracle." Sun sighs.

" **They would never expect it!" Neptune retorts.**

" **He's not wrong." Dew says to her allies.**

" **Open fire!" Nebula calls out her orders and they rush the isolated coward.**

' _I somehow doubt this match will have much useful information.'_ Weiss thinks. _'The entire setup seems a bit too unorthodox.'_

 **The rest of team SSSN charge in to help their teammate, Sage with his sword raised and Scarlet having ditched his coat. Sage comes upon Octavia emerging out from a nearby arch and tries to slice her with his cutlass. She ducks under the swing and continues sliding away, past the middle of Dew and Sage getting ready to rumble.**

"Is it really that bad having to fight on enemy territory?" Oscar asks.

"It's not so much that Sun's team had to rush into enemy territory." Blake answers. "It's more to do with how team NDGO will be more experienced fighting in the sand."

"And I can't tell you how many tricks you can use with that." Sun says.

 **Sage hefts his giant blade overhead, only to get knocked back by Dew's spear. He glances up in time to see the blonde wave her weapon over the sand to create three small twisters that kick up dust in Sage's face. He looks around as they surround him, but doesn't realize the danger until they coalesce into one big tornado that picks him up off the ground. With his weapon torn out of his grip and screaming in panic, he's totally helpless as the winds throw him and his blade out of the arena.**

"Already?" Sun's shoulders slag. "That's just not fair."

"And this is why ring outs are sometimes considered unfair." Weiss explains. "It eliminates people who are still fit to fight, just because of something most of the audience consider a minor detail."

" **And NDGO gains the advantage!" Oobleck announces as Sage slams the ground with fists upon seeing his image now crossed out on the holographic board.**

Jaune looks at the holographic board. "Wow, that's a serious advantage given how early it is."

"Don't remind me." Sun deadpans.

"We all have to suffer this a bit." Jaune shrugs. "I don't think anyone's immune to that."

 **Octavia slides in front of Sun and Scarlet, who ready themselves to fight her just as she spins her sword around and produces a wave of flame that kicks up sand in their faces. Sun manages to jump out of the cloud just in time to call for his replacement in fighting the redhead. "Neptune!"**

"So that's how you can use sand?" Ruby asks.

"Mostly." Sun admits. "It seems I knew what to look out for, but Scarlet wasn't so lucky."

 **Seeing his leader run from the duel, Neptune leaps down from his position and cocks his gun. Octavia attempts to use another fire attack to blind Neptune, but he simply puts on his goggles and fires a bolt as his opponent, who blocks it with her blade right before seeing Sun leap out of nowhere to deliver a neck-snapping kick to her face. Now furious, Octavia brings her blade onto Sun's staff as he spins it all around his body while hitting several parts of her weapon. He ends it with a jab that knocks Octavia on her back in the sand.**

" **Oh! And we're down to 3-on-3!" Port announces.**

"That makes things easier." Yang says. "Seems like you might stand a chance now."

 **Sun looks at Neptune fighting with Gwen as she circles him with her flying knives and Scarlet attempting to go weapon-to-weapon with Dew. She merely calls upon another sandy cyclone to lift Scarlet up, and he revolves around the spiral until it launches him over the shipwreck.**

'Not Scarlet too!' Sun mentally yells.

"That girls Semblance seems pretty dangerous." Weiss says.

"Only for a tournament match." Ruby says. "In a real fight it would give a much smaller advantage."

 **Luckily, Scarlet is able to adjust his flight so that he lands onto a part of the boat mast, almost losing his balance once the pole's under his feet.**

"That was close." Blake says. "But it does mean a member of your team is isolated again."

"I think Scarlet can take care of himself here." Sun says.

 **He eventually finds his balance right when Nebula closes in and launches an arrow with her crossbow at the mast, using it as a spring to jump right up to where Scarlet is. She folds up the sides of her weapon into a blade to cross swords with her opponent, the both of them ducking and missing or getting hit by the hilts until Nebula slams her metal over Scarlet's and forces him to lean back on the post. Luckily, he manages to get his sword back out from the trap and feign a swing at Nebula's feet before knocking into her with his elbow, causing the NDGO leader to fall into the sand below.**

"I may have underestimated your team." Weiss says. "You're handling a disadvantageous pretty well."

"Well… thanks." Sun responds. "I wouldn't have expected that from you."

' _This means I might have to seriously consider them as opponents in the future._ ' Weiss thinks.

 **From his position, Scarlet sees Gwen continue to throw her knives, and he smirks before whipping out his pistol and shooting the hilt guard as a grappling hook to get her by the ankle. "Gotcha!"**

"I really owe Scarlet an apology." Sun says. "I used to tell him that thing would be useless. Feels nice to be proven wrong."

 **Scarlet uses the cord to lift Gwen into the air while he slowly comes down to the ground, only to land directly beneath her as she attempts to protect her modesty while knives start raining down from her dress.**

"Ahhh!" Ruby practically jumps up in alarm. "That could be really bad."

"You think so?" Jaune asks.

"Remember that accidental dismemberment a was talking about." Ruby reminds them. "It was a very similar situation."

 **Scarlet looks up at the falling blades in horror, but is somehow able to take a stance that leads to him not getting a single scratch, which he gives a sigh of relief to.**

"That was way too close." Yang says. "How'd he avoid all of them?"

"If consider where they were stored in Gwen's dress, it doesn't seem so unlikely." Blake points out.

 **Scarlet's luck doesn't hold though, as Dew leaps near Sun, causing the monkey Faunus to find his new improvised weapons in the form of two coconuts he knocks out the palm tree beside him, which he throws at his opponent only to get them knocked right back at him, now spontaneously catching fire as they travel. Sun narrowly misses them both, but Scarlet gets one straight to the face, and the other lands in a place that makes him squeal in unimaginable pain while dropping his Aura levels into elimination.**

"Ouch." Jaune winces in sympathy.

Ren and Sun both nod their heads.

 **Sun sighs. "Nuts" He looks from Scarlet to Dew as she summons a few water blue tornadoes that he tries to dodge around. "Uh, Neptune? Could use some help, buddy!"**

' _Looks like the tornados have to have some medium in order to be fully effective.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Normally, it would just be wind, still dangerous, but I expect less impactful.'_

" **Uh, you know, uh, it would probably be better if you came over here! Yeah, I can guard this... sector! We're in lockdown mode!" Neptune calls back, stuttering over his word as if to avoid a certain topic.**

 **Sun looks around infuriated as Nebula manages to shoot the cord holding Gwen up in the background. "What are you talking about? There's nothing to lock down!"**

" **Lockdown! Right! You got it!" Neptune ignores the bulk of Sun's words.**

"Me and Neptune are gonna have to have a serious talk when we finally get back." Sun says. "I don't want him dragging us down when it's most important."

 **Sun narrowly jumps out the way from Dew's attempt to pierce him with her spear as he calls out to Neptune. "Dude, I know you're afraid of water, but you gotta…" He stops yelling when a blue shot knocks an attacking Dew out of mid-air and into the water.**

" **There! I helped! Are you happy now!?" Neptune yells. "Also, I am not afraid of water, and I have no idea what you are talking about!"**

"Does he really think he's fooling anyone?" Yang asks. "It's pretty obvious."

 **Dew manages to get back up as Nebula and Gwen join their comrade, lifting their weapons and ready to fight once more.**

" **NEPTUNE!" Sun yells.**

" **Okay, fine! Just get out of the water!" Neptune replies.**

 **Neptune jumps over to a spot near the coastal line next to Sun, and he unfolds his weapon into its trident form before tip-toeing forwards and, eyes closed, plunges the sparking prongs into the water. The energy surges through the deep until the remaining members of NDGO are electrocuted and kneel in the water, smoking and defeated with the sound of the buzzer.**

Sun give a big sigh of relief. "That was a close one."

"You did pretty well all things considered." Blake says.

"I just hope we get a different match." Suns voice sound exhausted.

" **And with that, Team SSSN moves on to the doubles round!" Port announces as Sun and Neptune chest bump in celebration. "You know what I call that victory?"**

" **Shocking?" Oobleck supplies.**

" **No, well earned." Port retorts. "What you said is stupid."**

 **Oobleck turns away, frowning.**

"So does this mean you won't be sending Neptune into the doubles?" Yang asks.

"I really don't know." Sun responds. "He did manage to end until the end, so that counts for something."

 **Back at the establishment with Qrow, the bartender whistles at the screen. "Now that was a match!"**

" **Heh, that was a mess!" Qrow speaks with a slight slur in his words.**

"Told you he had high standards." Yang says. "Though he may be referring to how Neptune was acting."

"You think he's gonna be there to cheer us on for the rest of the matches?" Ruby asks, not masking her excitement.

"You mean the rest of my matches." Yang smirks. "Remember, you aren't going any further."

"You make it should like you expect to go to the singles." Pyrrha says.

"Well…" Yang turns to the heiress. "No offence Weiss, but I think I'm better suited for a one on one match."

"No objection." Weiss replies. "I'm happy to have been picked for the doubles."

" **Come on man, you didn't like them, the Vale kids, or any of the rounds before that? What fight are you here for?" The bartender asks.**

"You think he'll be reporting to Ozpin?" Ren asks. "Couldn't he just sent a message?" Ruby asks.

"He may have suspicions about the CCT being compromised." Blake points out. "Even if he doesn't, sending classified info can be rather dangerous."

' _I'm not even going to ask ho she knows that.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **At that moment, Qrow turns around to see an aircraft with elegant ribbons flying from its wings behind him. "That one."**

"That's my sister's ship!" Weiss almost squeals in excitement. "Winter's going to in the video's soon!"

"But what about what Qrow said." Jaune says. "Does that mean…"

"I can definitely see him picking a fight with anyone from the Atlas military." Yang interrupts. "Plus, if we remember what happened in the opening, it's pretty obvious what to expect."

"And you still admire him, despite the fact he would pick a fight with my sister for no reason?" Weiss asks.

"He has his flaws." Ruby admits. "But he's also really… I don't know how to describe it."

' _I'll just have to judge him for myself.'_ Weiss thinks

 **Qrow finishes his drink as the world sways with the happily inebriated Huntsman until he slams the glass down on the counter and tosses a few Lien alongside it. "Happy Vytal Festival!"**

"He is really drunk." Blake comments. "Please tell me this isn't how he normally is."

"This seems especially bad." Yang admits. "It might be because he knows there's no chance of a Grimm attack, but it could also be that he has some really bad information."

"I don't think it's because of bad news." Ruby says. "If it were, he wouldn't be so upbeat."

' _So far he has done nothing to make a good impression of himself.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **The bartender watches as his sole patron staggers away and puts down the glass he just finished cleaning, only to knock it down and shatter it when he reaches for another one. "Aw, gee darn it!"**

' _Why was that included?'_ Yang wonders. _'It didn't seem to serve any purpose. Foreshadowing possibly?'_

 **At the stadium, Ruby leans back in her seat and sighs. "Aw, that was so close!"**

" **Looks like the dorks made it to the next round!" Yang says, the muffled sound of music playing in the background.**

"What's that music?" Nora asks.

"It seems really muffled." Ren says. "I may have to go back to pick up the words.

"I doubt its too important." Jaune shrugs. "Probably just an upbeat happy song."

 **Blake looks down in the arena where Sun and Neptune are dancing like fools before the fellow Faunus gives her a special double-gun gesture with a wink, eliciting a blush and a small smile from his target. "Emphasis on dork."**

Sun puts on a wide grin. Wide enough that Blake can't help but roll her eyes while obscuring her face from him.

" **That concludes the matches for today." Oobleck announces over the sound system. "Please leave the Coliseum IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!"**

"They probably should have picked someone else as the announcer." Pyrrha says.

"I disagree." Ruby states, but doesn't elaborate.

 **After Team RWBY stops flinching from the unexpected volume change Yang makes a suggestion. "Come on, let's go congratulate 'em."**

 **The four girls get up from their seats and start to head out just as the same ribbon-adorned craft passes over the Colosseum, causing Weiss to stop in her tracks and Ruby to bounce into her.**

" **Uh, what are you viewing?" Ruby asks.**

 **Weiss looking up at the craft with a strange expression and strain in her voice. "She's here!" The Schnee heiress' face displays a mix of joy and anxiety as the screen cuts to black.**

"Can we please move onto the next episode now?" Weiss request eagerly. "I would very much like to see what my sister is here for."

"And Qrow!" Ruby cheers.

' _It's interesting how they react the same way to a family member being introduced.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But I think Weiss would only act like that for her sister.'_

Oscar tries to get back to the menu to select the next video, but he can't as music is playing.

" _ **You are my star, you are the one, you make me smile when the world's come undone.**_

 _ **You are the one who sweeps me off of my feet. Yeah…**_

 _ **You totally rock, you're crazy and cool, everything's all that I love about you.**_

 _ **Girl of my dreams you would make my life complete."**_

"Another love song." Jaune sighs. "I'm honestly getting fed up of how many of these we're seeing."

"I believe this was the song that was playing just a moment ago." Ren says. "While Sun and Neptune were celebrating their victory."

"So you're saying it's about me." Sun says, momentarily disturbed by this.

"More likely it's from you." Jaune says. "So… sorry you have to have your feelings displayed like this."

Sun just looks on in stunned silence, as Blake face turns the shade of Ruby's hood.

" _ **Oh, but you're a distant dream to me.**_

 _ **Oh, then I know and I know that you're out of my…**_

 _ **Oh, you're out of my league.**_

 _ **How could it ever be?"**_

"Gotta say, it's weird having it said out loud like this." Sun says.

"It was fairly obvious." Oscar says. "I was able to figure out how you feel just from watching the videos."

"You did ask her out to the dance." Nora points out.

"Blake, how do you feel about this?" Yang asks.

Blake takes in a deep breath. "I would rather not talk about this. Could we could just get through it and move onto the next video."

" _ **What am I supposed to do, just sit here and not fall in love with you?**_

 _ **Can I do anything to conceal it? Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?**_

 _ **Try to hide from the fact, That there's no turning back, I'm in love."**_

No one takes the opportunity to speak this time, respecting Blake's wishes.

" _ **You leave me weak, you make me strong, all that I need is to know I'm not wrong.**_

 _ **If love is blind how do I make you see me?**_

 _ **You're my PYT, my Cherie amour, one look at you and my heart starts to soar.**_

 _ **No other girl could compete with your esprit."**_

" _ **Oh, and if your heart would just agree**_

 _ **Oh, Then I know and I know that I could be-**_

 _ **Oh, I could believe.**_

 _ **All that I ever need."**_

" _ **What am I supposed to do, just sit here and not fall in love with you?**_

 _ **Can I do anything to conceal it? Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?**_

 _ **Try to hide from the fact, That there's no turning back, I'm in love."**_

" _ **And like the autumn leaves I just can't help myself.**_

 _ **I'm falling there's no doubt.**_

 _ **It's you and no one else."**_

" _ **Is there any chance, for this dream romance?**_

 _ **Should I just give up.**_

 _ **What's a fool to do?**_

 _ **Could you fall for me, like I fell for you?"**_

' _It's fairly obvious that this only shows Sun's feelings, which is luck since he's already pretty open about it.'_ Yang thinks. _'I wonder what Blakes response would be though. She clearly doesn't want to say anything now.'_

" **What am I supposed to do, just sit here and not fall in love with you?**

 **Can I do anything to conceal it? Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?**

 **Try to hide from the fact, That there's no turning back, I'm in love."**

' _I'm noticing a pattern where the less important songs have more repetition.'_ Ren thinks. _'That's rather lucky for us though, since we get more of the relevant details.'_

" **What am I supposed to do, just sit here and not fall in love with you?**

 **Can I do anything to conceal it? Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?**

 **Try to hide from the fact, That there's no turning back, I'm in love."**

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Host gave us pamphlet to help us name people in the tournament, not useful for anything important but convenient.

Starts with JNPR vs BRNZ

JNPR wins with no losses and Nora using her Semblance (most details skipped since fight seems to be for spectacle rather than having any meaning)

Qrow in a bar called Crowbar, drinking. Qrow in Vale.

New fight NDGO vs SSSN

Neptune has a fear of water.

SSSN struggles a victory with only Sun and Neptune left.

Qrow has high standards, Qrow in Vale to report to Ozpin?

Qrow notices ship, very likely Winter Schnee is in it. Declares he's going to that fight (indicates conflict with Atlas military)

Qrow is very drunk

Must take notes on background song. REDACTED, song at end

Weiss notices airship.

Song at end "Not fall in love with you." Love song about Sun's feelings.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sorry about how little details there are for Ren's notes, there just isn't much to talk about.**

 **I'm not doing a Weiss's notes this chapter, I did it last time since I wanted to let everyone know that she's taking these notes.**

 **A little about how I came to write this fic: Ever since I first got into anime, I've had this thing about considering how the characters would react to watching their own show. I've used this mentality to get value out of watching shows a second time and considering their reactions to events rather than the actual moments themselves. Much later, I got into reading fanfics and discovered Class 78** **th** **Watches the Future. It was everything I imagined when I'd rewatched a Danganronpa lets play. I then later discovered RWBY and instantly started exploring fanfics across the web, but was unfortunately disappointed when I couldn't find any react fics that were from a good perspective. So after much mental debate, I decided to fill that role, and judging from everyone's reactions, it seems fulfilled that role well. So, has anyone else rewatched shows so they can consider how a react fic would play out? Or am I just a weirdo that doesn't watch shows properly?**

 **Has the ever been an interaction in the show that only involves Ruby and Blake? The question just came to me, and as far as I can tell the answer is no.**

 **The hosts actions so far have implied that it cares about the inhabitants of Remnant, but I've been considering a scenario where that isn't the case. It may turn out that the host only cares about RWBY, JNPR and some of the people they have connections to. This means the videos are for there sakes, and just happens to benefit Remnant as a side effect. This idea is fiddly though, I'm not sure how I would make it work, or even if anything will happen to make that distinction. It's food for thoughts though, and if people have suggestions, that's always appreciated.**

 **This fic is now among:**

 **Top 10 most reviewed RWBY fanfics published in the last year**

 **Top 10 most favourited RWBY fanfics published in the last year**

 **Top 15 most followed RWBY fanfics published in the last year**

 **Top 75 most reviewed RWBY fanfics at all**

 **Top 150 most favourited RWBY fanfics at all**

 **Top 150 most followed RWBY fanfics at all**

 **That's pretty impressive if I do say so myself.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	37. V3: C3: It's Brawl in the Family

**Review Notes:**

 **Last chapter I had Ruby swear, this was a mistake on my part. I changed the line so it's just a tell of fear.**

 **Has my writing really improved that much? I haven't noticed, but thanks.**

 **So the only interaction between Ruby and Blake that anyone found was when they saw the Brunswick farm photo together. Exactly twelve words were exchanged. So why do some people ship them? While they are certainly friends, there is no basis for any relationship. I don't want to offend people, but that ship is made of imaginary materials, it wouldn't float, let alone sail.**

 **Is it bad that I'm purposely setting up a scenario where Ruby will be especially hurt when she see's the terrible parts of this volume?**

 **The relationship between Weiss and Neptune has been cut, but it can grow back. I didn't do anything that would make reforming the relationship impossible since I'm following canon no matter what, and them being together is still possible.**

 **I admit I may have gone too far with how Pyrrha reacts to people badmouthing Jaune/making him feel bad, in the future I'll try to tone it down a bit.**

 **Does anyone actually read these? End your review with a } if you do.**

 **I'm writing what I think the standard should be for reaction fics. Canon personalities reacting to their canon events in an isolated space with very little interference.**

 **It's harder to write the future when it's just things like fighting or slice of life moments. Now that they're watching the future, they're more dedicated to figuring things out, so random trivia won't fit. (that was one of my failbacks when I didn't know what to put)**

 **I will/ have taken notice of the 'W' on Cinder's scroll.**

 **For the Yang vs Mercury fight, I'll stick to what happened in the show rather than what was planned. Even tiny things like this can hurt me further down the line depending on what the CRWBY does. If RWBY were a finished product I'd be less adverse to making some minor changes.**

 **V3 post credits will be staying the same.**

 **If you're gonna write a really long review with details that are worth of discussion please do so with an account. If you do so anonymously then I can't respond until the next chapter, so I might as well not bother. "Guest Isa" did this and I just can't talk to them about the details.**

 **I earlier made a comment about how Nora has been messing with Jaune by temporarily hiding his things. Because of this when it was practically revealed that Emerald has been stealing his things I had to cover my bases by having Nora make a small comment.**

 **They all know the CCT is compromised, it was pretty blatant when Cinder uploaded the virus.**

 **Some reaction are more heart-breaking than screaming. When Penny dies, I want Ruby's reaction to be like that.**

 **From what I can tell, it's impossible to wear Salem down. She has infinite access to magic powers so how can you restrain her? If RWBY just uses the equivalent of Zip ties to defeat Salem, this show will have seriously been going downhill. (To a being like Salem, any restraint might as well be zip ties)**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Agent-G (I sorta wish there were more people to pick from, but very few people actually talk suggestions) They theorised that Winter doesn't like Qrow because his drunkenness reminds her of how her mother is. I will/should have used that for this chapter.**

* * *

 **Volume 3: Chapter 3: It's Brawl in the Family**

"Any idea what that means?" Jaune asks.

"It likely means there's going to be a fight." Blake says. "And it involves family somehow."

"I'm putting my bets on Qrow fighting Winter." Yang says. "He pretty much admitted it last video."

"Yeah!" Ruby cheers. "Time to see uncle Qrow kick some but!"

"You are seriously underestimating my sister if that's what you expect." Weiss says. "Winter has climbed the ranks of the military despite her relatively young age."

"You've never met our uncle." Ruby smiles.

 **After the opening, the scene opens to a shot of Beacon Academy's courtyard at dusk, with Weiss and Ruby running up the main avenue towards the docking bays.**

" **Weiss!" Ruby runs to catch up with her partner. "What is the big deal!? Who is it? Who is she!?"**

 **Weiss stops and smiles. "Winter."**

"You seriously didn't explain?" Sun asks. "You actually got a transport back to Beacon together, but in all that time you didn't explain?"

Weiss is startled by this. "That… well… you're right. That really doesn't make any sense. Why didn't I say anything?"

"I think the videos may have some really minor changes to them." Jaune speculates. "Maybe you actually saw her ship at Beacon, but the host changed things around to save time and add dramatic tension to the end of the last chapter."

"That's worrying." Ren says. "If Sun hadn't spoken, we may not have noticed that. What other changes could we have missed?"

"I somehow doubt it's anything important." Jaune says. "So far it's mostly been thinks to make our lives fit the video format better."

' _The only thing we can do is hope changes aren't made to deceive us.'_ Ren thinks. _'The fake scenes seem so realistic that we can't tell the difference other than using inconsistencies.'_

 **The camera then cuts behind Ruby and Weiss watching Winter Schnee, escorted by crimson-coloured Atlas Soldiers and Atlesian Knight-200's as she exits her airship.**

" **Wait... Your sister?" Ruby asks for confirmation.**

"So how you expecting this to play out?" Yang asks Weiss. "Will she be angry at you, pleasantly surprised…"

"I expect her to take a strict and orderly approach." Weiss replies. "But she should be happy to see me."

" **Winter!" Weiss calls out. She and Ruby then run up to the elder Schnee who turns to see them. "Winter! I'm so happy to see you! Oh..." Weiss's voice is bright and excited, until she remembers her manners. "Your presence honours us." She curtsies for good measure.**

"Having trouble getting back into the Atlas mindset?" Nora grins.

"I just forgot we were in public." Weiss replies. _'But she's probably right. I have been much less formal since coming to Beacon. It's probably because of how I don't have to live up to expectations in my daily life.'_

 **Winter looks around as she approaches them. "Beacon... It's been a long time. The air feels... different."**

" **I mean it is fall, so, eh, it's probably colder." Ruby rubs the back of her head.**

"Could she be talking about the general mood of the people?" Pyrrha wonders.

"The what?" Jaune asks.

"Some people say you can tell the general state of a kingdom just by noticing how people stand, the way they move, how they group together." Pyrrha explains. "She could be saying how everything is more tense, given the Breach and sudden military presence."

"How do you know this?" Ruby asks.

Pyrrha shrugs. "It's similar to how we judge someones fighting style. I remember it being in a book I read to understand battle awareness better."

 **Weiss punches Ruby in the shoulder, causing her to gasp in pain before turning back to her sibling. "So, what are you doing here?"**

" **Classified." Winter states.**

" **Oh, right. Well, how long are you staying?" Weiss asks.**

" **Classified." Winter repeats.**

" **Of course." Weiss nods and smiles in understanding.**

"Could she have some involvement in Ozpin's group." Blake suggests. "We already know Ironwood's involved. What if he brought more people in on it to help with… whatever their goals are?"

Weiss's eyes widen. "That could be possible." _'If that really is the case, I would feel much less reason to distrust this group. If Winter's a part of it, it can't be bad at the very least.'_

"That would explain how she knows Qrow." Oscar points out.

 **Ruby looks pensively around at the silence. "Well... this is nice... I think."**

" **You're going to love it here!" Weiss is once again filled with excitement. "I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas! Vale, too. The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it!? I-"**

" **I'm more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its... bureaucracy. That is not why I came." Winter says.**

" **Right! I'm sorry!" Weiss dips her head.**

' _I'm learning things about how to deal with my next meeting with Winter.'_ Weiss assures herself. _'This is actually quite useful since it means I won't make the same mistakes.'_

" **Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle." Winter says. "But it appears that I have no choice in the matter."**

" **But, we won!" Weiss says, puzzled.**

"Yeah." Ruby agrees. "We did great in that fight. We didn't loose anyone, and the only person to loose significant Aura was Yang."

"It's all part of the strategy." Yang shrugs. "But it seems like your sister has really high standards. Guess she's a lot like Qrow in that way."

"She just want's me to achieve my goals." Weiss defends her sister. "Better to be an exemplary Huntress than one that takes on menial tasks."

" **Only a novice would refer to that as a victory." Winter states. "I counted at least three strikes missed." She signals her hand to the Atlesian knights. "Leave us."**

 **The AK-200s obey, walking two steps backwards into formation.**

 **Winter sighs, and smiles a little more warmly at Weiss. "How have you been?"**

' _I can't wait to see how proud Winter will be when she finds out how much I've succeeded.'_ Weiss thinks. _'She'll definitely agree that going to Beacon was the better choice for me.'_

" **Oh, splendid! Thank you for asking." Weiss replies formally. "I'm actually in the very top ranking of our sparring class! And the rest of my studies are going wonderfully, too! I'm-"**

 **Winter interrupts Weiss's boasting with a quick slap to the head, leaving a massive bump. "Silence, you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking, I'm asking how you've been. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"**

"Ha!" Nora laughs. "She just called you a boob."

"Nora." Ren states her name with exasperation.

None of this bothers Weiss though. She's too busy taking in what Winter said. _'She doesn't want to know about my performance. She cares about how I've been as a person. Father would only care that I don't disgrace the family name, but Winter really cares.'_ She doesn't hide the smile growing on her face. _'And it really has been great. I've made real friends, not just people I fight alongside. I've been doing things I enjoy, rather than what was expected of me. I've made a difference that actually helps the world, not lining my own pockets.'_

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby asks.

Weiss nods. "I was just… thinking about things."

" **Well, there's Ruby." Weiss gestures to the girl in question.**

 **Ruby giggles as she pushes the lump back into Weiss' head. "Heh, boob."**

' _More changes to add humour I guess.'_ Jaune thinks. _'There hasn't been any problems spotting the changes in the past, so I doubt we'll miss anything important now.'_

" **I see." Winter turns her gaze. "So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately... underwhelming."**

" **Uh... Thank you!" Ruby replies.**

"That wasn't a compliment." Blake points out.

"I know." Ruby replies. "But what am I supposed to do? Start a fight?"

"Good to see you haven't emulated Qrow too much." Yang grins.

"You're one to talk." Ruby retorts. "You get in fight way more often than me."

" **Greetings, Ruby Rose. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister." Winter says.**

"Why do high class people do that?" Jaune asks. "They don't just say thank you. They state their desire to do so, but don't actually say it."

"I honestly don't know." Weiss responds. "I suppose it could be about not being direct, treating it more like a work obligation."

" **Oh! Uh, yes, of course!" Ruby awkwardly attempts to salute and curtsy. "The honour is in my... court!" She nearly losing her balance with this gesture, waving her arms until she can get back up.**

"Ruby." Weiss turns to her partner.

"Yes." Ruby replies meekly, half expecting what's to come.

"Don't try to act high class." Weiss states. "EVER."

Ruby nods continually.

 **Winter's eyes narrow, but she ignores Ruby's antics, looking to Weiss. "I have business with the General and your Headmaster. But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"**

"This puts a lot of evidence towards her being part of Ozpin's group." Ren says. "Going to see the General is understandable, but I can't imagine why she would need to meet with the headmaster otherwise."

"I'm guessing at this point we can assume the group isn't localised to Beacon. That it extends to every Kingdom." Blake says.

"That should have been obvious form the moment Ironwood was involved." Sun says.

"But why?" Oscar asks. "What's the point of this organisation?"

Ruby gives Oscar a surprised look. "Did we not tell you?"

"You know!" Oscar yells.

"We have a pretty good guess." Weiss explains. "We're pretty sure that they keep humanity safe on a massive scale. Dealing with problems that could cause large scale panic, before the Grimm can get involved."

"Then why hide?" Oscar asks. "They shouldn't tell the world their exact plans obviously, but wouldn't it be much more reassuring to know there's a group like this that prevents the worst case scenario?"

"We're obviously missing some kind of context." Blake says. "Plus, people knowing that such an organisation is necessary would possibly make things worse. Better to thinks something can't happen than that it will probably be prevented."

"And Cinder's group has goals that are in direct opposition to them." Pyrrha adds. "It's possibly some kind of revenge for something in the past, but it's definitely better not having this ongoing conflict be out in the open."

" **Really?" Weiss asks, elated.**

" **Yes." Winter walks towards the Academy with Weiss by her side, followed by the androids. "I wish to inspect them and make sure that they are up to my personal standards."**

" **Of course." Weiss says. "Just so you're aware, the bunk beds only look unstable."**

" **Bunk… beds?" Winter questions.**

"We have to clean up!" Weiss quickly shouts. "Before Winter arrives in Vale, we have to clean up our room."

"Don't we already make sure it's neat and tidy?" Yang says.

"I don't want to see my sisters reaction to how we put up our beds." Weiss urges. "It'll just be for a while, but could we please put them back to normal."

"I guess we could." Ruby decides. "But you have to make sure there's plenty of room for them beforehand."

"Agreed." Weiss nods.

 **As Winter and Weiss walk on, Ruby is left waving goodbye behind them. "I'll catch up- I mean, I will... reconvene with you both... at a later..." She pauses with her hand on her head, wracking her brain for the right word. "Juncture!" She raises her finger, before stepping out of sight to the left. "At a juncture. Yeah."**

Weiss turns to face her partner.

"I promise I won't act like that." Ruby says. "Seeing it like this… I can tell how weird it is."

 **The scene cuts back to Weiss, Winter and the androids walking towards the courtyard, before shifting the first-person view of a certain someone dizzily sneaking up behind the AK-200s and promptly dismantles two of them, kicking a head towards the group.**

"Three guesses who this is." Ruby says.

"At this point I'll honestly be disappointed if Qrow doesn't get in a fight with Winter." Yang says.

"You think we've just been making that assumption?" Blake asks.

"It'll happen." Ruby says, half to herself. "Qrow is Qrow, so there's no way it won't happen."

" **Hey!" A voice calls, leading Weiss and Winter to turn around and see Qrow standing over severed android parts. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!" He tosses a decapitated machine aside.**

"Wha…!" Weiss yelps, confused. "Is… Is he talking to me?"

"No way." Jaune refutes. "From what I can tell, that name also fits with Winter. Possibly even better that it suits you."

"So it's just a coincidence." Weiss says.

"It's like how everyone individually decided to call you that." Blake points out. "It simply fits with the Schnee family so well."

" **Halt!" Winter orders the remaining knights before they can attack Qrow.**

" **Excuse me!" Weiss angrily walks up to Qrow. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to!?"**

' _It's not wrong for my future self to act like this.'_ Weiss thinks. _'From her perspective, some crazy drunk decided to pick a fight for no reason._ ' When she considers this, she finds it hard not to believe that's not still the case.

 **Qrow dismissively places his hand on Weiss' face. "Sssshhh. Not you." He pushes her out of his way as he moves forward.**

" **Hey." Weiss whines.**

' _Perhaps I should be at least slightly worried about the state of Ozpins group.'_ Weiss considers. _'If someone so disrespectful is part of it, they must be very desperate. But I'll trust Ruby and Yang's judgment, at least as long as he reliable when it counts.'_

 **Qrow looks at the irritated Winter as he clarifies. "You." A black bird is seen perched on a lamp post before flying off and circling past the group. "Saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here, too."**

" **I'm standing right before you." Winter states.**

 **Qrow squints through his hazy state of mind. "So it would seem."**

"They definitely have a hostile history." Jaune comments. "You can practically feel the passive aggressive tension."

"I wouldn't really call it passive." Nora says.

" **You realize you just destroyed Atlas Military property." Winter looks on angrily.**

" **Oh, oh I'm sorry." Qrow sarcastically apologizes as he looks at his surroundings. "See, I mistook this for some sort of... sentient garbage."**

" **I don't have time for your immature games, Qrow." Winter says.**

" **Wait, you two know each other?" Weiss asks, now standing back by Winter's side.**

"You think we'll find out about this secret organisation this Volume?" Sun asks. "I mean… future us. Will our future selves learn about its existence?"

"We expect this to be the last Volume, so yeah, probably." Ruby says.

"That would be the case if we knew things would end well." Pyrrha points out. "But since we have hard evidence to contradict that, it's possible our future selves will remain ignorant for a long time. Possibly forever."

"That wouldn't make any sense." Blake says. "Remember, Ozpin probably considers us prime candidates to join his group once we've graduated."

' _Ruby must end up working for Ozpin somehow.'_ Yang thinks. _'That would explain some things form her letter. Especially the part about not risking it being leaked in a letter.'_

" **Geez, you Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?" Qrow says.**

" **It's in the title." Winter states.**

" **Well, you know what you really are?" Qrow asks. "A bunch of sell-outs. Just like your boss."**

"He must be referring to how Ironwood brought his army to Vale against Ozpin's wishes." Jaune says.

"I'm still uncertain about why he considers it a bad move." Weiss says.

"It probably benefits Cinder's group in some way." Oscar points out. "That would explain why they caused the Breach. It was a trap to lure them."

"Nice one." Ruby compliments. "Now that you mention it, it's hard to believe that's not the case."

Ren puts on his thinking face. "If Cinder had left, it would be safe to assume they did it so they'd have a better chance at doing something in Atlas. The lessened security would make it easier. But they didn't, and that implies they have an actual use for the Atlesian Military."

This enforces the idea that Cinder's group is very dangerous. A general rule of Remnant is that you don't mess with the Atlesian military. If Cinder's willing to do so, she must be extremely confident, or excessively desperate. Either one will make them difficult to deal with.

" **I'm not sure what you think you're implying, but I've heard enough." Winter says harshly.**

" **Oh I heard, too." Qrow says. "I heard ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin."**

" **Ozpin?" Weiss asks. This entire situation makes no sense to her.**

"Think you might push the subject?" Ruby asks. "Fish for more information on what's happening."

"It's unlikely." Weiss replies. "I trust my sister, so if she tells me it's nothing important, or that I don't need to know, I'll probably back down."

" **Weiss, it's time for you to go." Winter pushes Weiss aside.**

 **Weiss responds. "What…"**

" **Listen to big sister, Weiss." Qrow semi-advises. "She'll protect you. Just like Atlas is going to protect all of us, huh?"**

"Is it bad that one Kingdom has such a disproportionately large amount of power?" Pyrrha asks.

"Not as bad as it could be." Weiss replies. "Everyone knows that war will benefit no one, and while Atlas has the largest Military, Vale has the best Hunters."

"Plus Vacuo is a force to be reckoned with." Sun says. "They don't seem like it most of the time, but if a real threat arises, they'll band together."

" **If you won't hold your tongue, then I will gladly remove it for you!" Winter draws her sword at him.**

" **Alright then..." Qrow slicks back his hair. "Come take it."**

"This is it!" Ruby squeals. "We get to see Qrow fighting!"

"Your sister better be able to at least pose a challenge." Yang says to Weiss. "I'd hate to see this end too quickly."

"If it ends quickly, I assure you. Winter will be the victor." Weiss declares.

' _Not a chance.'_ Ruby keeps her eyes locked on the screen.

 **There is a brief pause as anyone who was even remotely between the fighters backs off.**

 **Suddenly, Winter lunges forwards with a succession of stabs and slashes aimed directly at Qrows head, but each is dodged with minimal effort. Qrow even has the audacity to bow for the penultimate hit, before drawing his weapon to block the final blow.**

"You can do it uncle Qrow!" Ruby cheers.

"Pretty obvious who's more skilled." Yang says.

"Winter is just holding back." Weiss refutes. "You don't honestly expect she'd try to kill him?"

"Couldn't if she wanted to." Yang replies.

 **Qrows weapon extends to full sword length as he flips it in his fingers and aims to his opponent.**

 **The two openly clash blades as Qrow lands a downwards strike, and aggressively swipes at Winter, forcing her to do a series of back handsprings away from the greatsword and eventually block it.**

"Bet he won't even have to use his scythe form." Yang says.

"He won't." Ruby agrees. "But that's because in a fight like this, using a scythe can be a bit too… lethal. I doubt he'll use it given how drunk he is."

 **The camera then cuts to the two spinning and trading blows as Ruby enters the crowd next to her teammate.**

" **What's going on?!" Ruby asks.**

" **Some crazy guy just started attacking my sister!" Winter points to the fight.**

"That's not what happened." Sun says. "Winter attacked first. Then Qrow gave her plenty of opportunity to ed the fight."

"That's… but…." Weiss struggles for an argument.

"It's a clever way to start a fight without being to blame." Sun explains. "Qrow made Winter think he was starting a fight, so she would decide to take the initiative. I've seen it happen plenty of times back in Vacuo."

" **Oh no! Who would do such a th…?" Ruby then sees Winter's opponent. "That is my uncle!"**

" **What?!" Weiss responds.**

" **Kick her butt, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby yells loudly.**

"Yeah!" Present Ruby joins in.

" **Uh..." Weiss decides to shout her own encouragement. "Teach him respect, Winter!"**

"You can do it Winter!" Present Weiss decides she has to support her sister at least a bit since Ruby seems set on cheering her uncle.

 **At the back of the crowd, Mercury can be seen walking past as he notices the fighting. Looking closer, his eyes widen as if he's seen something important and possibly dangerous, so he runs away, intent on keeping his distance.**

"He recognises one of them." Ren says. "Does this means there's a chance one of them could recognise him?"

"Not likely." Blake says. "Remember, Mercury was willing to be broadcasted around the world for the tournament. "He's probably going to warn his team about how Ozpin has more allies in Vale now."

"So which one do you think he's worried about?" Oscar asks. "Or… could it be both."

"It's likely Qrow." Pyrrha say. "We're more certain about his involvement in Ozpin's group, not being in the military gives him more freedom to interfere with their plans, and Winter's part of the military, which we know they have plans for."

"And Qrow's obviously the better fighter." Yang adds.

' _Don't respond.'_ Weiss tells herself. _'You'll just make it worse.'_

 **Both Winter and Qrow parry each of their foe's strikes with rapid speed, as Winter dodges a two-handed swing before smacking Qrow's left cheek with the pommel of her saber. But Qrow grins in response and Winter is forced to leap away with a glyph as Qrow slams his sword on the ground, shattering the pavement.**

"That's going to be annoying for everyone." Nora states.

"I'm sure professor Goodwitch will fix it." Jaune says.

 **Winter then breaks away from the mid-air crane stance as she lands near a lamp post, which is subsequently destroyed with a swipe from Qrow. Winter then leaps above him, dodging his swings and landing on top of his sword, then giving him an excellent view of her foot as she kicks him in the face.**

' _That's better.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Good to see Winter's finally getting the upper hand.'_

 **Winter backflips onto the stump that used to be a lamp post, but then leaps off onto a railing high above, right as Qrow throws his sword at the stump. Qrow transforms his weapon, firing a cannon shot at Winter and forcing her to jump onto the side of a concrete, arched pillar. She uses her sword to stay on the vertical surface until Qrow runs forward and tries firing more blasts at her, which she dodges by scaling the pillar's face and eventually leaping onto the archway itself. Qrow follows suit on the opposite structure, firing off round after round at his distant opponent.**

"Now I wish we were able to fight around school grounds." Ruby grumbles. "Wouldn't it be awesome to have a fight like this?"

"We could probably get something arranged." Weiss considers. "But the planning and conditions probably wouldn't be worth the experience it would gain us. We could do better things with our time."

 **Qrow then searches for Winter as he sees a cloud of white steam consume her, narrowing his gaze. Suddenly, Winter flies towards him, separating her bifurcated saber into two, and Qrow blocks the attack. The arch collapses from the force, causing the two to crash back down to ground level, continuing their furious attacks towards each other. Qrow is forced backward and drags his sword in the ground to slow to a stop before holding it in a one-handed stance, to the cheer of the audience.**

"This must be pretty exciting for everyone." Jaune says. "In-between tournament fights, they get to see experienced Hunters going at each other up close."

"I'm just glad Qrow hasn't accidentally hurt anyone in the crowd." Weiss says.

"he's definitely not drunk enough to do something like that." Yang says. _'Yet for some reason, the idea of that happening sounds more likely than it should be.'_

 **Winter then stabs the ground with one of her swords, summoning a glyph that creates a flock of small white Nevermores, which begin flying towards Qrow.**

"Can you do that!?" Ruby turns to her partner with a hopeful look and a big smile.

Weiss sighs. "I can't."

"But I thought you said…"

"I can't!" Weiss insists.

 **Qrow swings his sword at the flock, causing a few to burst into small clouds of steam. He then sends an Aura arc at Winter, causing her to jump back and putting an end to the birds. Winter angrily summons a second glyph behind her, and the blade of Qrow's sword begins to transform in a sequence initiated by its clockwork gears.**

"Damn it." Yang groans. "I was so sure."

"Too bad the fight won't last any longer." Ruby says. "I was really enjoying it."

"Err… what's happening?" Oscar asks.

"Qrow's turning his sword into a Scythe." Ruby explains. "That means he plans on ending it now."

"As if he could." Weiss says, but even she's intrigued to see how this plays out.

 **But suddenly, Qrow's gaze travels elsewhere, and he suddenly sheathes his sword, instead beckoning his bewildered rival to come at him with his right index finger. The glyph fades away, and there's a bright flash of light, followed by Winter speeding forward with light trailing behind her.**

" **SCHNEE!" Ironwoods yell is heard just as the tip of Winter's blade closes in on Qrow's throat, but she pauses in response to her superior.**

"Ironwood!?" Blake yelps. "I guess he decided to meet up with Winter."

"That… or he heard the fighting." Pyrrha says.

 **Winter looks behind her to see General Ironwood standing there, with Penny meekly trailing behind him.**

"Penny!" Ruby cheers. "I was worried we wouldn't get to see her this Volume."

"I wonder if we'll get to see any of her matches." Yang says.

"She is fighting in the tournament." Ruby says. "And I'm pretty sure she'll be picked for the one on one matches."

" **General Ironwood, sir!" Winter lowers her blades as she addresses Ironwood at about face.**

 **Ironwood steps forwards. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"**

" **He started the altercation, sir!" Winter says.**

 **Qrow puts his hands behind his head in a relaxed stance. "That's actually not true. She attacked first."**

"Can he really get away with that!?" Weiss asks. "He gave her a verbal slap, and Winter's just supposed to take it."

"Nothing a person says gives you the right to start a fight." Blake says. "Except for threats, and even then it's shaky ground."

" **Is that right?" Ironwood looks to his subordinate, who searches for words, only to realize Qrow is right. She looks down in shame. Ironwood then turns to Qrow. "And you." Qrow points to himself in mock confusion. "What are you doing here?"**

" **I could be asking you the same thing." Qrow says.**

"It's weird finding out how uncle Qrow knows so many important people." Ruby says. "Especially when you consider why he knows them."

 **Ironwood responds. "I-"**

" **Now, now, everyone." Ozpin interrupts, addressing the entire audience with Goodwitch beside him. "There is a sanctioned fight happening just around the corner at the Colosseum, that I can assure you has better seats... and popcorn." He swirls his cup.**

" **Break it up, everyone!" Goodwitch says. "We will take care of this mess." She glares at the three 'responsible' individuals.**

 **Ironwood adjusts his collar. "Let's go."**

"I wonder who's fighting?" Pyrrha says.

"Probably no one important to the events of the Volume." Jaune says. "And even if they were, we'll probably see them in the doubles or singles."

 **As Ironwood and Winter leave, Penny notices Ruby and quietly waves to her, while Ruby waves back. Ruby then leaps giddily onto Qrow's arm, shaking her legs in delight.**

" **Uncle Qrow!" Ruby hangs on Qrow's outstretched arm. "Hi." Qrow looks to her niece. "It's so good to see you! Did you miss me? Did you miss me!?"**

"… **nope." Qrow then shares Ruby's grin as he pats her head.**

"So, is this how you expect you'd act?" Weiss asks.

"Yep." Ruby replies. "It's also probably how Qrow'd react. He's been pretty in character so far."

"That's good." Weiss nods. "At this point it's fairly clear this is all accurate. I can confirm Winter acted how I expected, though she did seem surprisingly angry around Qrow."

' _It's not hard to figure out why.'_ Yang thinks.

" **Qrow!" Ozpin calls for the huntsman. "A word, please." In the background, Goodwitch repairs the courtyard using her telekinesis.**

 **Qrow leans towards the now dropped Ruby. "I think I'm in trouble."**

" **You did kinda tear up our courtyard." Ruby shrugs.**

"He also cut apart a light post." Sun points out. "Plus who knows how many bullet marks he's left."

" **Yeah, I did." Winks and gives a fist bump. "Catch ya later, kid." He walks off to join the others.**

 **Weiss walks up beside Ruby, arms crossed. "And suddenly, your recklessness makes sense."**

"That's not true." Ruby argues.

"No, she's right." Yang says. "You definitely picked that up from Qrow."

"As if you're any better!" Weiss remarks.

" **You're just mad because he whooped butt." Ruby nudges Weiss' shoulder.**

" **That was a draw, at best!" Weiss asserts.**

 **Ruby's grin says otherwise.**

"I still think Winter had the upper hand." Weiss says.

"Not unless she had another trick she was hiding." Yang says.

"Qrow was leading the entire fight." Pyrrha says. "The fight started how he wanted it, ended how he wanted it, and everything in-between seemed to be his way of letting off steam."

"My sister landed some pretty good hits." Weiss argues. "Plus she hadn't even used any of her stronger summons."

"Such as?" Blake asks.

"I…" Weiss is taken aback. "I don't even know what her best summons are."

"Sounds like excuses." Ruby grins.

 **The scene shifts to Ozpin's office late at night. Ironwood is waiting with his arms crossed while Winter is impatiently pacing about. Suddenly, a smirking Qrow, accompanied by Goodwitch and Ozpin, arrive in the elevator.**

"This'll be good." Nora says.

"Agreed." Pyrrha says. "The parts with Ozpin's group always seem more informative than the rest of the videos. Though it can be quite cryptic."

"I wouldn't say cryptic." Ren says. "They simply have no reason to talk about the context because they all already know it. Also, the scenes with Cinder are far more beneficial to us since we'll probably be able to work with Ozpin later anyway, so it isn't essential that we learn all of their plans."

" **What were you thinking!?" Winter nearly yells.**

" **If you were one of my men, I would have you shot!" Ironwood agrees.**

" **If I was one of your men, I'd shoot myself." Qrow pulls out flask as the three enter the room.**

"I can't even imagine that." Yang says. "Qrow working for Ironwood… the entire idea seems so insane I can't even get an idea of what it would look like."

"Yeah." Ruby agrees.

" **While I wouldn't condone his behaviour, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation." Goodwitch says.**

" **He was drunk!" Winter says.**

" **He's always drunk!" Goodwitch retorts. The four then turn to see Qrow is drinking from his flask. His eyes widen when he notices them staring, and he holds the flask out to the side, looking at it awkwardly before grimacing.**

' _It's really no wonder Winter doesn't like him.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Alcoholism is admittedly quite a sore spot for us. Even with how Ruby admires him, I can't bring myself to respect a person like that.'_

 **Ozpin stares at Qrow in shock, then sighs and sits down. "Qrow, why are you here?"**

" **You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field!" Ironwood asserts.**

"Did something happen to your uncle?" Jaune asks.

"It's not weird for us to not hear from him for such a long amount of time." Yang says. "But from the sound of it, he at least contacts Ozpin fairly regularly."

"I wonder what he was doing." Blake says. "Could he have been tracking down some of Cinder's allies that aren't in Vale?"

"We're fairly certain she does have more people." Ren agrees. "Whoever make the virus for example."

" **I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy!" Qrow responds.**

" **General." Winter stresses.**

" **Whatever." Qrow replies. "You sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you, our enemy is here."**

"This confirms Winter is a part of Ozpin's group." Weiss says. "And I personally consider that a good thing."

"Why?" Ruby asks.

"It's more evidence to Ozpin's group being a force for good." Weiss says. "I trust that my sister wouldn't work for people who aren't trying to make the world a better place."

"I guess I felt the same way when I learned about Qrow being involved." Yang says.

"While I'll admit that was a good point, I hardly think trusting a drunks judgement is a good idea." Weiss says.

"That's not fair!" Yang yells.

"Yang, stop!" Ruby commands. "We don't need to fight about this. We're all on the same side."

 **Ironwood leans against Ozpin's desk. "We know."**

" **Oh! Oh, you know! Well, thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!" Qrow yells.**

"They didn't tell him?" Oscar asks.

"We don't know what reasons they might have had." Blake says. "We don't know the circumstances."

 **Ironwood takes a deep breath. "Qrow…"**

" **Communication's a two-way street, pal." Qrow interrupts. "You see this?" He pulls out his Scroll and points to it. "That's the SEND button."**

" **They had reason to assume you'd been compromised." Winter states.**

"See. That seems like a fairly reasonable explanation." Blake says.

"Why would they think that though?" Pyrrha wonders. "Did Qrow fail to contact them? Or could have gained false evidence that he had been defeated by Cinder's allies?"

"That's a frightening thought." Yang says. "I'm pretty sure Qrow's one of the best Huntsmen currently active. So they're that much of a threat, we need to remember that beating Cinder won't be the end of it."

" **And I have reason to assume you don't need to be here." Qrow points to Winter. "Seriously, who invited her?"**

 **After a brief moment of silence, Ironwood speaks. "Schnee, we'll discuss this incident back at my ship."**

 **Winter looks surprised. "But sir!"**

" **Winter. Leave." Ironwood orders.**

"Looks like Winter isn't as deep into the Organisation as the rest of them." Sun says.

"Why!?" Weiss asks. "Why doesn't Winter get to know about some things while someone like Qrow does!?"

"It's probably because she works for Ironwood." Blake says.

"Explain." Weiss demands.

Blake sighs. "Qrow has to be part of the inner circle because he probably only takes orders from Ozpin. But Ironwood can find out what needs to be done, then give orders to Winter while hiding the greater motivations behind it. This means less points for Ozpin's plans to be leaked, and Winter has already shown fierce loyalty to Ironwood, so she doesn't need to make her own judgement, and simply trusts him."

"That… sounds slightly messed up." Ruby says. "Doing something simply because of orders."

"It's how any large organisation has to work." Blake explains. "People should make their own choices. But they often have to rally behind a charismatic leader in order to get anything done." _'The problem is when that person uses their position to guide others down a dark path.'_

 **Winter salutes Ironwood. "Yes sir." She turns on her heel and gives the winking Qrow a dirty look as she exits via the elevator.**

"Pretty sure Qrow doesn't actually dislike Winter." Jaune says. "Seems like he just enjoys messing with her."

"You really thinks so?" Oscar asks.

"I've seen it before." Jaune says. _'Though it was my sisters doing it to me.'_

" **Go on." Ironwood gestures to Qrow.**

" **Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn." Qrow informs them. "They're the one responsible for Autumn's condition." He takes a drink from his flask once more.**

"Autumn?" Ruby says. "Have we heard anything about someone called Autumn?"

"I don't believe so." Ren answers. "Has anyone heard that name before?"

No one speaks up.

"So who could this Autumn be?" Weiss asks. "It sounds like he or she could be one of Ozpin's operatives."

"That seems likely, but we can't be sure." Ren says, writing in his notes.

"It doesn't sound like Autumn is dead." Blake notices. "So it's probably an injury he's referring to. Unless anyone can think of another explanation?"

No one has a clue.

" **What?" Goodwitch says.**

 **Qrow puts away his flask. "Despite what the world thinks, we're not just teachers, or generals, or headmasters. The people in this room, the leaders of the other two academies, we're the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about!"**

"We were right!" Nora declares. "It was about time one of them just went and said it."

"And now we know the other headmasters are involved." Sun says. "I gotta admit, I never expected something like this from professor Lionheart."

"I think the most important part is the evils he's referring to." Weiss says. "Is that all encompassing, or are they specifically against Cinders group and whatever it used to be in the past."

"It's hard to tell." Ren says. "I would guess it's the former, but his tone of voice didn't give much away."

"But this is it!" Ruby shrieks. "This is exactly the kind of Huntress I want to be. Taking jobs like escorting is great and all, but doesn't it sound great to have your only goal be to make the world a better place? Without having to worry about silly things like taking jobs that pay well."

' _That does sound really appealing.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I've always wanted to be everything a Huntress stands for, even knowing that parts about them are exaggerated. But if there really is a group like this, then that makes my goal even clearer.'_

"Ruby does make an interesting point." Weiss says. "If we assume this group was formed by the king of Vale, then the academies may not just be about training Hunters. It could also be their way of scouting for new members."

"Not gonna lie. This sounds really like a conspiracy right now." Sun says. "Not that I think it's bad, but it sounds really crazy. Like. I would never believe it if you just told me outright."

"That would actually explain the videos." June says. "They give us a basis so that we actually believe everything rather than dismissing it as impossible."

 **Qrow gets up in Ironwood's face. "It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So you tell me, James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you just not give a damn!?"**

"Could that be part of Cinder's plan?" Oscar asks. "She could be planning on revealing Ozpin's group in a negative manner. Then using the chaos to get whatever it is she wants."

"That would explain why Ozpin considers Atlases intervention to be bad." Blake says. "It could definitely be used as ammo against them."

"Nice one Oscar." Ruby compliments him. "Good to see you're really joining in."

"Yeah… well…" Oscar ruby the back of his neck. "I just thought it would be best not to hide this theory."

 **Ironwood stares down at Qrow as he places his Scroll on Ozpin's desk. "Discreet wasn't working." The centre of the room projects a hologram of Vale, Beacon Academy, the Amity Colosseum and Ironwood's fleet of Atlesian Airships, which he gestures to. "I'm here because this is what was necessary."**

" **You're here because Ozpin wanted you here!" Qrow argues. "He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!"**

"Now this sounds like they're focused on a main enemy." Weiss says. "Could Cinder's organisation be really old, and she's just their latest leader?"

"That sounds increasingly likely." Ren says. "But the way he says it. You could be fooled into thinking it's a bigger threat than the Grimm."

"Considering how humans can hide their intentions, and have the ability to plan better than any Grimm, it's a very different kind of enemy." Blake says. "Sometimes the most dangerous enemy is one that seems good, but is using you for its own purposes."

" **And I am grateful." Ironwood says.**

" **Oh, well, you've got a real funny way of showing it." Qrow says.**

" **The people of Vale needed someone to protect them; someone who would act. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength." Ironwood declares.**

"That would have merit." Jaune says. "If not for the fact this is exactly what they want."

"I must say it was a very smart plan." Weiss says. "Ironwood can't notice the damage he's doing because without knowing what Cinder's plans are, everything he's done seems beneficial. It's hard to admit, but they certainly have a good idea of how to manipulate people."

"Remember that we're not certain about what Cinder's reason is for wanting the military here." Ren says. "Wanting to disgrace Ozpin's group seems likely, but it could be something different altogether."

 **Qrow starts laughing. "You... You think they're scared of your little ships? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you - they are fear."**

"They know about Cinder?" Ruby asks.

"They know about a 'she'" Pyrrha says. "We can't be sure they know the identity of Cinder, or if Cinder's even the one he's referring to."

"I'm more interested in what he means by 'things she's make'" Blake says. "Why haven't we noticed any such things? If they're really so terrifying then surely we would have noticed."

"Grimm?" Nora suggests.

"Don't be ridiculous." Weiss refutes. "The Grimm have been around since forever. They can't be made, they're simply a fact of life."

"Regardless, this means Cinder has access to incredible firepower." Ren says. "Something dangerous enough to make the Atlesian army seem small."

"That must be an exaggeration, right?" Yang asks with a worried tone. "If they had such a force then they wouldn't even need to go through all the trouble they currently are."

"That depends on their goals." Blake says. "But yes, it does seem like Qrow is exaggerating."

" **And fear will bring the Grimm." Ozpin stands up. "A guardian is a symbol of comfort. But an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds..." He gestures to the display. "If this is the size of our defences, then what is it we're expecting to fight?"**

 **Qrow, Goodwitch, and Ozpin all stare down Ironwood in disapproval.**

"That thought did occur to me before we came her." Jaune says. "It wasn't exactly conscious, but the idea of a fleet being necessary has gotten me worried."

"Then apply that to everyone in the Kingdom, and it's no wonder that the Grimm have been pushing against the borders so much." Weiss says.

"Didn't Oobleck once say that's why the introduction of Huntsmen and Huntresses was such a big turning point in fighting back the Grimm." Ruby says. "We're able to be there to protect people without causing tensions that make things worse."

"His explanation was a minor exaggeration." Ren says. "But it is true that things have at least gotten better over the last century."

 **Ironwood glares at them before sighing and walking forward, picking up his Scroll just as it flashes with the image of a Black Queen. "So then, what would you suggest we do?"**

"OH NO!" Nora yells. "Please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means!"

"I expect it isn't as bad as what you're imagining." Weiss says. "Ironwood wouldn't risk the control of his army being tied to something he takes with him everywhere. But Cinder will probably have much greater access to classified information."

"This is one thing we know we can avoid." Ruby says. "When we get back, we have to warn Ironwood about keeping his scroll away from the CCT tower."

"I'll do it." Weiss decides. "I was already going to be the one to contact him, also it will be less suspicious for me to request an audience than for anyone else."

"Good." Ruby nods. "Me and Jaune can try to get in contact with Ozpin. Make it seem like part of being team leaders."

"I was thinking about that." Jaune says. "We should probably try to meet him outside of Beacon tower. We don't know if there are listening devices Cinder was able to hack into."

" **I suggest we find our guardian." Ozpin says.**

"What could that mean?" Oscar asks.

"Ruby?" Weiss suggests.

"Err… what?" Ruby asks.

"We were wondering about why you were invited to join Beacon early. Could it be so you can prepared for a specific goal they have in mind for you? It would explain why Ozpin has taken such an interest in you."

"That… he could just tell me." Ruby says. "As long as it's nothing bad, I'd agree to it."

"Perhaps you're not ready." Bake suggests. "No offence Ruby, but you are quite young for a Huntress. Plus Ozpin has already shown his desire to ensure we all make happy memories at Beacon."

"The idea of all this still disturbs me though." Yang says. _'But perhaps this involves the mission Ruby is sent on in her letter. It would make sense.'_

 **Cut to a dorm room, where Mercury is sitting in a chair, reporting on the fight he saw earlier, while Cinder walks back and forth, interrogating him with Emerald resting on a bed nearby.**

"Ozpin scene followed by a Cinder scene." Nora says. "This video seems pretty big on information."

"I'd expect all the future ones are." Pyrrha says. "With the exception of the ones that are largely dominated by fight scenes."

"There's one way to check." Blake turns to the youngest person in the room. "Oscar, would you say you learnt a lot in the first two volumes?"

"Well, yeah." Oscar replies. "I mean… most of it seemed to just be about your personalities and relationships. But even without that, I now know plenty of things I didn't before."

"That proves it." Blake says. "The only reason we didn't find much value in the previous volumes is that we were there for everything. Now that's no longer the case, so we should expect this same level of information density."

" **And you're sure?" Cinder asks.**

" **Bad hair, used a scythe, and smelled like my dad after a long day. It was him." Mercury confirms.**

"I knew he was more worried about uncle Qrow!" Ruby says. "This means we can get him to come to Beacon, right?"

"I wouldn't be too hasty." Yang says. "But if he has been trying to track them down, then I would think the chances are pretty good."

" **What do we do?" Emerald asks.**

" **Nothing. We stay the course." Cinder says. "They have no idea who we are, so we have no reason to worry."**

"This proves that no one in Ozpin's group knows what they look like." Sun says. "But that was pretty obvious from how they were able to walk around Beacon unnoticed. Plus how they were in the tournament team matches."

"So we're going to be using past tense to refer to things in the video." Nora notices. "I was sorta wondering what we would do about that."

"It's not as if we should use the future tense." Blake says. "That would be like resigning ourselves to thinking we can't change things, and that's not a healthy mindset."

" **Besides, the last of the heavy lifting is being taken care of thanks to our clever little friend." Cinder picks up her Scroll as it too flashes with the Black Queen. "Speaking of which... it appears we have a new access point." Ironwood is shown on the Scroll as an icon, along with a curling "W" in the other corner.**

"HOLD IT. PAUSE!" Weiss yells.

Oscar hastily does so.

"What was that about?" Ruby her ear Weiss had practically yelled into.

"We need to sketch that symbol." Weiss points to the 'W'.

"I'm on it." Ren says. "Scribbling in his notes."

"So what could it mean?" Sun asks.

"My guess is that they have another teammate that made the virus, and that person has a name beginning with 'W'." Weiss explains. "We should probably look out for anything like that in the future, even after we've left."

"Good idea." Ruby agrees. "We don't know when the videos will cut off. So having a plan for gathering more info seems smart."

" **Anywhere good?" Emerald asks.**

" **You could say that." Cinder says. "Go to your rooms. I'll prepare everything for tomorrow."**

" **Yes, ma'am." Emerald replies.**

" **Got it." Mercury gets up and leaves with Emerald.**

" **Let's give the crowd a good fight." Cinder says, navigating her scroll so that Mercury and Emerald are on one side, with Coco and Yatsuhashi on the other.**

"There's no way." Weiss mutters.

 **The next morning, the crowd sees the rigged match-up on the screen at the Amity Colosseum. "The randomization process is complete! Ladies and gentlemen, your doubles tournament fight!" Port announces.**

"No." Weiss says. "No, no, no, no, no, no! That's not fair."

"They've been rigging the matches." Jaune says. "We should have realised that was possible."

"At least they can't shape the outcomes." Blake says. "But they are probably able to guide some teams towards early defeats or relatively easy victories."

"I really hope they've only been doing it for their team." Weiss scowls. "If not, our victories suddenly become less meaningful."

"You think they want us to get far in the tournament?" Yang asks.

"If they wanted us to fail, they would have given us tougher opponents." Weiss says. "I'm sure they knew we would beat team ABRN."

"Well you can consider this motivation to make sure we beat them before the tournament starts." Yang says. "If you really want to earn a victory that is."

"Of course I do!" Weiss snaps.

"But wait…" Ruby speaks up. "Do they really think they can beat team CFVY so easily? Coco and Yatsuhashi aren't exactly weak."

"I'd say they can probably pull it of without much effort." Pyrrha says. "They have plenty of time to prepare, and I've told you all before how strong Mercury is, even when he held back against me."

 **As the announcement is heard, RWBY cheers with arms raised, JNPR is seen providing applause, and SSSN is shown sitting in front row seats. The camera shifts to Cinder, now watching her teammates in the seats as she menacingly claps with a devious smirk, before the screen cuts to black.**

"Next video." Yang says.

 **Congratulations on reaching this point**

 **Another bonus video has been added to 'World of Remnant'**

"Urgh." Weiss groans. "Do we have to?"

"It seems like a good time to take a break." Ruby says. "Like before, we'll watch this then take a couple hours ready ourselves for the next video."

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Qrow likely to fight Winter

Some scenes in the videos are fake. Doesn't deceive, but used to make it seem like a show

Ruby and Weiss meet Winter at the Beacon courtyard

Winter notices that things are tense in Vale

Winters purpose and length of visit is classified, possibly involved in Ozpin's group due to connections with Ironwood

Winter considers Weiss's fight a failure

Weiss and Winter are close, Winter cares about Weiss's lifestyle more than academic success

Winter not impressed by Ruby, thanks her though

Winter has business with Ozpin and Ironwood (very likely part of group), decides to spend time with Weiss first

Winter and Weiss leave Ruby behind

Qrow appears, destroys two Atlesian knights, acts hostile to Winter. He seems very drunk while this all happens

Winter reveals that they know each other

Qrow has low opinion on Atlas Specialists

Breach was a trap to lure Army?

Cinder still in Vale, so army must have some relevance to her plans

Winter wants Weiss to leave, Qrow adds further insults, Winter draws weapon

Qrow and Winter start fighting, Qrow starts with upper hand

Ruby joins Weiss, sees fight, starts cheering for Qrow

Qrow purposely set up Winter to be the guilty party

Mercury notices fight, runs away

Mercury likely recognises Qrow or Winter (probably Qrow) as possible threat to plans

Fighting continues

Winter summons white Nevermores. Weiss insists she can't do it

Qrow transforming his weapon

Qrow stops, noticing something, puts away weapon, taunts. Winter charges at Qrow but is interrupted by Ironwoods voice

Penny is with Ironwood

Winter gets blame laid on her

Ironwood wants reason Qrow is in Vale

Ozpin arrives, scatters audience, leads his group away

Ruby meets with Qrow before he leaves, they are very close

Everyone in character so far. Videos are almost certainly accurate

Qrow leaves

Scene change to Ozpin's office. Ozpin, Goodwitch, Qrow, Winter, Ironwood all present

All of them mad at Qrow and Winter

Qrow been out of contact for weeks, probably unusual

Qrow been tracking other members of Cinder's group?

Confirmed that Qrow was finding information on [the enemy], confirms that they are in Vale

Winter is part of Ozpin's group

Qrow isn't being fully informed while on missions

Qrow annoyed he isn't being informed, others thought he might have been compromised

Beating Cinder won't be enough, she probably has powerful allies

Winter asked to leave, not privy to all information

Qrow explains [infiltrator is responsible for Autumn's condition]

Autumn is possible operative?

[Condition] implies probably injured

Qrow: [we keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about]

Is evils referring to Cinder's group, or is it general?

Group likely founded by king of Vale, academies might be for scouting new members

Past volumes used to set us up to believe future rather than dismiss everything

Possible: Cinder planning on revealing Ozpin's group in a negative light, use military occupation as proof

Ironwood doesn't believe discreet works

Ozpin invited Ironwood and told him about real fight

Cinder's group likely Ozpins main enemy, group could be very old, with Cinder as latest leader

Ironwood believes in using overwhelming force

[she] has made things that are very powerful and [are fear]

Cinder has access to incredible fire power

Qrow likely exaggerating

Ironwoods army has caused tension in Vale

Ironwoods scroll infected by virus due to proximity with headmasters desk

Scroll likely only gives Cinder information

Future plans: Weiss go talk with Ironwood, Ruby and Jaune talk with Ozpin

Ozpin: [I suggest we find our guardian]

Guardian could refer to Ruby, explains early invitation, Ruby currently not ready or given more time to make happy memories

Scene change to Cinder's room

Current volume seems very information heavy, expect continued trend

Mercury explaining what he saw, his father was likely a drunk

None of them are recognised, so they don't change plans

Heavy lifting of plan is done by virus. "W" on Cinder's scroll, must investigate

Cinder able to rig matches, unsure how many she actually does

Next rigged match is Mercury + Emerald vs Coco + Yatsuhashi

RWBY and JNPR easy matches possibly due to Cinder wanting them to get far

New bonus video available

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I've shut down the poll about what people are looking forward to in V3. Doesn't really make sense to have it any more.**

 **So yeah. Another WoR incoming. Sorry, I know how people prefer real chapters. But if you have ideas on what to include along with the WoR, I'm sorta out of ideas or this one.**

 **I noticed that I mixed up Weiss and Winters names a few times while writing this. Please tell me If I forgot to correct any of them.**

 **Should I change the genres? Friendship and Drama seems accurate, but if there are others that would fit and get me more followers… I like followers.**

 **What are peoples thoughts on me making some parts in first person? In the future I may want to have a particular scene focus very heavily on a certain person, so it may be a good idea to do something like that. I honestly would have preferred writing in first person, but that can't really work well in a react fic.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	38. V3: WoR2: Huntsmen

**Review Notes:**

 **I'm not really restricting myself to canon pairings. I simply enjoy canon pairings enough that I don't want to deviate from it. (Jaune and Pyrrha being the one exception, for obvious reasons.)**

 **I forgot that I didn't cover the proper version of** _ **I Burn.**_ **But I don't think I'll do it. Too much pop culture they won't get and I want to keep that out of my story.**

 **Weiss wouldn't teach Ruby high class talk because I don't think anyone wants to see that.**

 **Sorry I missed why Qrow calls Atlas specialists sell-outs. I'll probably cover that in this chapter.**

 **If people remember, I already stated that Ruby knows what Velvets weapon is. I may have her geek out about it when the time comes, but she might not bee in the best mental state at that point. (That's not foreshadowing, I'm actually uncertain how to handle Ruby between Penny and Pyrrha's deaths.)**

 **I've decided to keep my current genres. Romance was never an option because it won't have too much emphasis. Suspense seemed like a good idea, but might give the wrong impression. Mystery wouldn't' fit since I'm not hiding anything from the readers (mostly).**

 **I think I have an idea on how I want to do first person scenes. First I'll go over the events normally, then have little sections from a perspective where I can go into more depth about a person's mindset. This will only be used where I feel is appropriate.**

 **I don't want to fill in the remaining character labels since adding Sun and/or Oscar would be sorta like a spoiler, and adding Ruby or Jaune for better filter appearances seems like a scummy thing to do.**

 **I'm doing the WoR in order, so you can't request a particular one. See my profile for a list of what to expect.**

 **I'm not creating any new WoR videos.**

 **I don't know when Cinder got control of the tournament matchups. But it's so inconsequential to the show currently that I can do what I want with it.**

 **There are some questions I'm just fed up of answering over and over again. So I'm going to ignore question's I've already answered (mostly).**

 **I've sorta got to cover the WoR videos now. Previously they were to keep the idea of Salem's voice in their minds, but now it acts as a downtime for me to add any original content.**

 **This fic won't end at V3. But having them think it will is a great way to build up tension.**

 **No matter how I formant my chapters, it won't mean I get to later parts earlier.**

 **I'm going to assume no one knows who Marcus Black was.**

 **Adam may be a terrible person, but Blake wouldn't reveal private information about how he was branded. That's a line she wouldn't cross, as it doesn't benefit them and it's incredibly personal.**

 **I have made the characters slightly more naïve than they really are so that certain story beats will hit them harder.**

 **I've decided to call certain things fake scenes. The reason is that the overly exaggerated comic relief can't actually happen, so it's best to say it was edited. This also works to fix any minor inconsistencies in the story. Don't worry, this won't have a big impact.**

 **I'm sure plenty of people have forgotten, but in an early chapter I explained that the video pauses when people talk.**

 **Please remember that last chapter Amber was referred to as Autumn. Given how Summer and Winter are both real names in this world, it makes sense that the group would assume it was a real name.**

 **Yang's note won't be decensored. Ever. They'll have to wait until V4FC to find out the missing details.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Kvothe of Many Talents. I always appreciate when my spelling is corrected.**

* * *

 **Volume 3: World of Remnant 2: Huntsmen**

"Another useless one." Weiss groans.

"Weiss." Ruby berates. "Remember, this isn't for your benefit."

Oscar feels uncomfortable at this. Like he's the reason they have to wait on the more important videos. "Let's just get on with it."

" **Huntsmen and Huntresses; the best and brightest warriors of Remnant, ranking higher than Kingdom police and even military, in terms of strength, and skill." Ozpin explains. A purple, caped figure wielding an axe and a golden, hooded figure wielding a sword appear.**

"Seems like it's Ozpin again." Blake says. "I'm fairly confident this means we get a new narrator each volume."

"But we still don't know anything about the first one." Yang says. "Only that she and Ozpin know each other somehow."

"Don't forget that thing about her apparently living a very long time ago." Sun points out.

"I've been thinking." Ren speaks up. "And we may be wrong about that. While her wording in the first chapter did seem to imply that, we could have simply been taking it the wrong way."

"That sounds much more likely." Pyrrha agrees. "Otherwise how could she know Ozpin?"

" **The occupation was established alongside the Huntsmen academies after the Great War, with the hope of creating elite warriors whose sole purpose would be to combat the creatures of Grimm." Figures are seen heading out of Beacon tower to fight against the oncoming monsters.**

"That doesn't sound completely in line with what they do nowadays." Jaune says. "Fighting Grimm is the most important job they have, but there's also dealing with criminals like Torchwick."

"But the purpose is still the same." Weiss says. "Protecting the people of Remnant from malicious forces."

" **Beacon Academy was founded in Vale, Haven founded in Mistral, Shade founded in Vacuo, and Atlas founded in the now-defunct Kingdom of Mantle." The kingdom emblems appear on their respective locations on a map of Remnant.**

" **These institutions accepted graduates of primary combat schools, who showed enough promise and tenacity, to not only battle the world's deadliest creatures, but also protect their fellow man." The golden figure from before is wounded by a Grimm, but the Purple figure leaps in to fight of the Grimm and help the Golden figure to his feet.**

"It's a nice representation of what Huntsmen and Huntresses do." Ruby says. "I can almost imagine this being part of a promotional campaign."

"Perhaps." Pyrrha agrees. "But to me, it seems like a video they would show young children to help them understand the world."

"That makes it sound very condescending." Yang says. "But yeah, I can see that."

" **For this reason, trainees are grouped into teams, ensuring the continual development of communication, empathy, and teamwork; traits that are vital to any guardian of peace." Silhouettes resembling the members of RWBY appear together, joining hands in a show of friendship and trust.**

"Look!" Ruby almost squeals. "They decided to use us as an example. Isn't that great?"

"It is nice to know they consider us good representatives of those values." Blake smiles. "Could that be why we in particular were chosen?"

"You think we might have been brought here because the host had a good impression of us?" Yang asks.

"I do." Blake nods. "It's not hard to believe. The videos have shown us all in a very good light, so if the host views us like this, it makes sense that we would be trusted."

" **As an additional precaution to maintaining peace, the founders of the Academies believe that their graduates should be kept separate from Kingdom allegiance." Figures of different kingdoms are seen taking and shaking hands.**

"A task much easier said than done." Weiss says. "Even some of the most renowned Huntsmen prefer to protect their hometown over going where they are needed most."

"You can't blame them on that." Sun says. "It'd almost be disturbing if we didn't protect those we're close to first."

" **Once finished with their training, Huntsmen and Huntresses are free to choose who they work for, as well as what kind of work they will do, through the use of mission boards. Allying with a particular Kingdom or village is entirely up to the individual." A Huntsman looks at the mission boards available to them.**

"Not all Hunter jobs are on the mission boards though." Ren says. "Often, particular individuals will be scouted by large companies, and there are some people who take jobs they really shouldn't be doing."

"But there's also what Qrow's doing." Yang points out. "I really doubt you'll find his jobs on a mission board."

"He may have some fake missions though." Blake speculates. "Since Ozpin's group has human enemies, they may try to mislead them with false missions to throw them off."

" **However, Atlas Academy has come under increasing amounts of scrutiny for the indoctrination of military lifestyle upon its students, pressuring them to enlist in the Atlas Military's Special Operatives unit." A military figure walks past a line of soldiers, the last of whom bares a striking resemblance to Weiss's sister.**

"We already get to see Winter in on of these." Ruby says. "Isn't that surprising."

Weiss lightly nods. "Yeah… sure." _'This is one reason why I didn't want to go to Atlas Academy. It's practically a FastTrack into the military,'_

"Could Ironwood be purposely building up his Special Operatives ranks so as to prepare for fighting Cinder's group?" Ren speculates. "It seems like something he would do."

"That seems very likely." Pyrrha agrees. "But at the same time, he might have done it anyways."

" **Every academy has its own methods of teaching. The end result is the same; Huntsmen and Huntresses ready to make their own paths. Some will stay together as a team, some will move on to work alone." The gold and purple figure are seen doing their jobs, both in their own respective way.**

' _I haven't even considered that.'_ Ruby thinks. _'What will team RWBY do when we graduate? I want us to stick together, but Weiss and Blake have their own driving motivations. What if we're forced to separate?'_ The mere idea worried her.

" **But all are expected to serve humanity... and never succumb to the darkness." Ruby wields her scythe with the shattered moon to her back. The screen fades, and the video ends.**

"That looked so cool." Sun comments, turning to Ruby. "You gotta let us take a picture of you like that at some point."

Ruby laughs nervously. "Y-yeah… sure."

"We aren't going to talk about how ominous that sounded?" Oscar asks.

"They all end like that." Jaune dismisses. "I'm not sure if it's really trying to warn us about something, or if it's just a tradition.

And with that, the group decided to disband. Most went to do their training, and others just lounged about for a while. But nothing of note happened until they reconvened in the viewing room.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

No new information

* * *

 **A/N**

 **What do people think of my profile pic? I know it's just a cropped version of the story cover, but I like it.**

 **Sorry I've been updating slower that usual. Please pretend my update schedule is once a month, and you'll be happily surprised almost every time.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	39. V3: C4: Lessons Learned

**CRITICS UNITED HAS FOUND MY STORY SO I'LL PROBABLY BE MOVING TO ANOTHER SITE (go to bottom for details)**

 **Review Notes:**

 **Last chapter was admittedly quite lacking in reactions, but what do you expect? It's hard to make good reactions to information they already know.**

 **I wouldn't call Remnant dystopian or post-apocalyptic (at least not in the eyes of the residents). It seems to me more like a world in the golden age of overcoming a problem that has always been present. Sorta like how earth overcame most deadly diseases.**

 **I know I resolve drama quicker than I should, but I don't want the characters to be unable to react to the events properly due to previous parts. It's sorta a hard balancing act for me.**

 **Due to cause and effect they won't be able to use the videos to perfectly predict what their enemies will do when they return. The videos are more about telling them about the dangers that exist and letting them make well informed decisions about how to defeat their enemies.**

 **Best reviewer last chapter: Grano Onis. Ideas for Ruby's reactions are much appreciated, though some of it conflicts with my already established plans.**

* * *

 **Volume 3: Chapter 4: Lessons Learned**

"Sounds like we might learns something useful." Weiss says.

"But don't we have the Mercury and Emerald fight?" Sun questions. "I mean, it's great that we'll learn more about their fighting style, but that doesn't really fit with the title, does it?"

"The fight should only last half the video." Jaune says. "That's how it's been in the previous videos."

 **After the opening, the Amity Colosseum is still floating high amid the cheers of an excited audience as the two opposing pairs of partners for the match, the grinning Mercury and Emerald against a confident Coco and meditating Yatsuhashi, wait in the centre of the stadium for the holographic roulette to pick the field.**

"So Pyrrha, you really think they'll be able to beat Coco and Yatsuhashi that easily?" Blake asks. "I know you said they could do it without effort, but that still seems unlikely to me."

"I'm fairly confident team CFVY will be losing." Pyrrha replies. "If you were to ask me without context I would be more hesitant, but the fact that Cinder decided on the match shows that they both have the experience to win."

"What about us?" Ruby asks. "Could we beat them?"

"I really can't say." Pyrrha replies. "If we all worked together, I doubt they'd stand a chance, but we haven't yet seen them going all out."

" **Emerald and Mercury of Haven, versus Coco and Yatsuhashi of Beacon!" Port announces.**

" **Good luck, you two!" Velvet cheers from up in the stands, sitting alongside Fox and Ruby.**

"You're sitting with Velvet?" Yang turns to her sister. "And here I though you would stick with us."

"I… err…" Ruby stumbles with her words.

"We're probably sitting on the other side of her." Weiss says. "Don't just jump to conclusions."

Ruby nods her head frantically.

 **The Colosseum chooses four fields to rise up from below in quarter sections: A patch of tall grassy plains which has a single tree and some rocks; the ruins of a city, complete with buildings holding shattered windows and rubble among the pavement; a hot spring containing geyser spots along a small river and some blue Dust crystal growths; and a familiar section of dense forest.**

"There are four different area?" Oscar questions. "Wasn't it just two before?"

"They decided to make later rounds more interesting by adding more variety." Pyrrha explains. "And in the one on one matches they…"

"Let's not give everything away?" Yang interrupts. "Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"I thought we were done with that when we started this volume." Blake says.

"We are." Yang agrees. "But wouldn't it be much more fun to see how he reacts."

"It's not that hard to figure out." Oscar says. _'There are eight holograms to represent the areas, so it makes sense they would divide it again.'_

" **Hey!" Coco lowers her sunglasses as she eyes her opponents. "Love the outfit, kid!"**

" **I'll try not to get blood on it." Emerald responds.**

"I'm not sure what's worse, seeing ourselves be friendly with Emerald, or our friends." Ruby grumbles.

"Imagine how I feel." Blake says. Even now she hasn't completely gotten over Tucson's death. She may have calmed herself into not being needlessly violent, but being impartial with her emotions in a whole other issue she doubts she'll ever overcome.

 **Yatsuhashi gets up as he removes his sword from his back. "I can't promise you'll leave without a scratch."**

" **I won't be the one bleeding." Emerald does some casual arm stretches.**

" **Ooh, I like her!" Coco says.**

"This is really weird." Sun tries to shake of the uncomfortable feeling.

"The sooner their true nature is revealed the better." Jaune agrees.

" **Three, two, one, begin!" Port starts of the match.**

"Get'em Coco!" Ruby cheers.

"You can do it." Yang joins in.

"Imagine how weird it would be if Coco and Yatsuhashi did win." Nora brings up. "It might totally break everything Cinder has been working towards."

"That wouldn't really make sense." Jaune argues. "They wouldn't bring up something like that halfway through the volume."

"Jaune." Weiss gives him an accusational look. "Remember, this isn't a story. These are meant to be the vents that happen in the future. And besides, who's they?"

"I… err… well…" Jaune stumbles with his words. "Sorry. I was sorta caught up in the idea that we were watching a normal show."

"Glad to know real life is so interesting to you." Nora comments.

"He's right though." Ren states. "We already know that something very bad happens, so it's impossible for them to have their plans stopped before that happens."

"That's based on a few assumptions." Weiss points out. "But you're probably right."

 **Instead of charging forward, Mercury and Emerald slowly walk back into the tall grass and disappear behind the leaves. Upbeat music starts playing.**

"New song!" Nora cheers. "Wait. Does that mean CFVY gets two songs?"

"It could be about Emerald and Mercury." Blake says. "If fact, I hope it is. Any information on the will be useful."

 **Coco and Yatsuhashi smile at each other before the leader pops out her Gatling gun and begins mowing down the field as the crowds of sunglasses-wearing fans roar their approval, even when bullets nearly hit them from the other side of the forcefield.** _ **"Welcome to the bloodbath jump into the tub, Fist-fight, death-match come and join the club."**_

"They have force fields to protect the crowd?" Oscar asks.

"Of course." Ruby answers. "Otherwise weapons like Coco's couldn't be used to their full potential. It's not perfect of course, but as long as no-one's specifically trying to break it, there's no chance off the audience getting hurt."

" **Huh?" Coco lets up as she and Yatsuhashi realize the two opponents aren't in the plains section anymore.** _"_ _ **Kick-start your face with a metal-clad boot, you should give up now your retaliation's moot."**_

"That sounds like Mercury." Yang says. "Are we gonna have to pay attention to the song while watching the fight?"

"Don't worry." Ren assures. "If we don't get it as an ending song, I'll go back through the video and write down the lyrics."

"Thank you Ren." Blake nods her head. "That makes things easier."

" **Look out!" Blake yells from the stands. She and the rest of RWBY sitting to the side of Velvet.**

"Look!" Ruby points to the screen. "See! Weiss was right. Of course I would be sitting with my team."

"It was just a joke." Yang rolls her eyes. "No need to get so caught up about it."

 **Mercury suddenly drops from the sky, aiming for Coco, but Yatsuhashi pushes her out of the way and blocks the boots with his blade, pushing him back. Coco opens fire at him again, though Mercury is able to outrun each shot.** _ **"I'll run circles round ya, I can touch the sky. I'm gonna make ya hurt and I'm gonna make you cry."**_

" **He's good!" Sun comments, sitting alongside his team.**

" **Yeah, but where's the girl?" Scarlet wonders.**

"Does he seriously plan on taking them both?" Jaune asks.

"Unlikely." Pyrrha replies. "This could be a classic diversion strategy. He just needs to keep their attention while Emerald prepares a surprise attack."

"So we can expect Emerald to be an indirect fighter." Ren says. "Someone who never takes her opponents head on?"

"I believe so." Pyrrha replies.

 **Mercury reaches the two and kicks away Coco's weapon while dodging Yatsuhashi's blade, then delivering a double blow to the giant warrior before jumping over Coco's continued barrage of bullets. He lands on the barrels and kicks her in the face, leaping over another of Yatsuhashi's swings, only to let himself be hit so he can get behind Coco and force her to press the muzzle up to her own teammate.** _ **"You want to mess around? Well come on let's go. I got no time to waste let's start the show."**_

"It's looking like he might actually be able to beat them on his own." Ruby becomes nervous. "It sorta reminds me of Pyrrha's fight against CRDL."

"I was against four novices who had very little teamwork." Pyrrha says. "I have to admit that this is more impressive."

' _At this point we've practically confirmed that Mercury is on par with Pyrrha._ ' Ren thinks. _'It's hard to admit, but we won't be able to beat Cinder's group without a numerical advantage.'_

" _ **I'm the one that your mama said, 'Don't mess with them or you'll end up dead. That type they don't follow any rules."**_ **Everyone stands still until Coco compresses her weapon back into its handbag form and tries to hit Mercury with Yatsuhashi, but he deftly jumps back and launches two blasts from his boots that the members of CFVY deflect.** _ **"You're looking tall, you're looking tough, I'm sorry dude, it's not enough. Your girlfriend's purse won't help you win this duel."**_

"Ranged attacks too." Weiss says. "That's certainly good to know in advance."

"I wonder what kind of model he uses." Ruby says. "You think we have a chance of getting the blueprints?"

"Unlikely." Blake says. "But at a guess, I'd say it's just the boot version of Yang's gauntlets."

"Hey!" Yang yells. "I resent that comparison!"

' _It's not as if I mean anything by it.'_ Blake thinks.

" _ **The bigger they are then the more that they bleed. The deeper the scars that won't heal."**_ **Coco is unfazed by the one shot, but looks surprised at the dozens of them now spiralling around the handstand-spinning Mercury until he sends all of them at his enemies, a barrage of light and smoke surrounding them that provides the perfect cover for Mercury to appear behind the two.**

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt." Sun says.

"It does seem like a troublesome move to deal with." Pyrrha agrees. "Perhaps it would be best to fight him somewhere with cover, otherwise it would be rather hard to avoid being hit."

" _ **Buckets of pain as they lie there in shame. Knowing how true defeat feels."**_ **He grabs the both of them by their arms and delivers a flurry of kicks that knocks them back, looking back as a chain comes out from the forest trees to wrap around Coco and pulls her back.**

"Seriously!" Yang yells. "He's already half beaten them, and only now does she decide to take part!"

"This seems like it's just child's play to them." Weiss says. "What kind of training did they go through?"

"It also seems like my previous measurements of Emeralds chains was wrong." Ren says. "For now we should assume it's just very long. But I still expect she has an optimum length she uses for standard combat."

" **Coco!" Yatsuhashi reaches out to her in vain. But despite his cry, Coco disappears into the trees, and he has to endure a blow from Mercury before being able to grab and throw him into the hot spring area.**

"Yeah! Finally got the upper hand!" Ruby cheers.

"Let's just hope he doesn't give Mercury enough time to regain his balance." Weiss says.

 **Yatsuhashi jumps high in the air as Mercury's still sliding back, but his blade only comes down on his opponent's boots, the shockwave from this clash causing the water to fly back, the earth to crack underneath, and multiple geysers to form around them.**

"How's Mercury able to take that kind of force on his legs?" Blake wonders. "I certainly wouldn't be able to take a blow from Yatsuhashi."

"Remember that he seems to specialise in using his legs to attack." Pyrrha says. "He's probably trained them to an extreme degree."

" _ **I'm the one, that was born in a nightmare a murderer's son."**_ **Mercury fires his boots and gets out of the hold, aiming a swipe at Yatsuhashi's feet that misses, then ducking around each of his sword's swings. One of his kicks lets loose some stones from the ground, which Mercury kicks into Yatsuhashi and leaves him at the mercy of another foot-happy assault.** _ **"Got no gun, but I gleam like a blade and I'm harder than iron."**_ **This leaves his head in a small super-heated geyser, erupting and causing him to scream in pain as he frantically gets up, opening his eyes just in time to see Mercury coming at him.**

"The fight's practically decided by this point." Weiss says. "I can't imagine them making a comeback any time soon."

Ruby gives a low grumble. She doesn't want to believe it, but even she knows that Coco and Yatsuhashi never stood a chance.

" _ **I'm the one, who rose out of filth and was loved by no-one."**_ **Meanwhile, Coco is still being dragged back into the forest until the chain makes her collide with the trunk of a tree. She shakes it off until she realizes her sunglasses are lying shattered on the ground.** _ **"Delusion, I'll steal 'til your blind and defeat you from inside your mind."**_

"I always thought something like this would happen." Pyrrha says. "Coco values fashion far too much that it interferes with her fighting.

"We have to have a sense of style though." Ruby argues. "Otherwise we'd all be wearing camouflage and us girls would have super short hair."

"I'm not arguing against individuality." Pyrrha says. "But wearing shades into battle never made much sense to me."

"It does if you've been to Vacuo." Sun says.

 **Coco glares angrily as she looks around. "I take it back; I don't like her." Just as she says this, a green shot rapidly comes at Coco, which she barely manages to jump back from as more come down on her from Emerald's position up in a tree above her.**

"I guess one good thing came out of this." Nora jokes. "At least now we won't have to put up with Coco being friendly with Emerald."

"I can't say I'm not relieved." Weiss says. "But we've also gotten plenty of other information that will help us defeat Cinder's group. You getting it all down Ren?"

"All the key points." Ren says. "But taking notes of a fight will only get us so far. We'd be best familiarising ourselves with the videos a few times."

"I suppose that can't be helped." Weiss agrees.

 **Coco unleashes her Gatling gun again and shoots high in the branches, but Emerald jumps around, using her own revolvers to fire back and change them to sickle form so she can swing from each tree until she suddenly vanishes behind one of them.**

"Where'd she go?" Oscar asks. "Can a person really disappear behind a tree so easily?"

"Usually not if they're moving so fast." Blake says. "I guess we can add this as another of her skills."

" **Damn!" Coco looks around for her lost opponent.**

" **Coco!" Yatsuhashi calls as he walks into the scene.**

" **Watch out, she's in the trees!" Coco calls back to him as she continues to glance around.**

"Looks like Yatsuhashi is there to back up Coco." Yang says. "That means he beat Mercury, right?"

"That's… surprising." Weiss is baffled by the unexpected development. "I honestly didn't think he stood a chance."

' _No. something doesn't seem right.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Why would he enter the forest from that direction. And why didn't we hear the buzzer.'_ But before she can vocalise her thoughts, the video continues.

 **A buzzer sounds around the arena, so Coco looks up to see the footage.**

" **Oh, and with that final blow, Yatsuhashi is eliminated!" Port announces as a defeated Yatsuhashi stands in the geyser field.**

"What!?" Nora shouts.

"How!?" Weiss desperately questions.

"I thought he was with Coco." Jaune tries to reason through the situation. "He was there, right. So is this possible?"

" **What!?" Coco's eyes widen in shock. She looks behind her, only to see no one there.**

Pyrrha comes to a realisation. "That must be her Semblance."

"Emeralds?" Blake questions.

"That would make sense." Ren agrees. "Perhaps she's capable of disguising herself as someone else."

"Seems like an appropriate Semblance for a thief." Yang says.

"It would also explain why she needed to get Coco into the forest." Weiss agrees. "If she and Yatsuhashi stitched together, it wouldn't have nearly the same effect."

 **Coco's hand is shaking on the handle of her gun, and she doesn't even see the blur between the trees moving in for the kill. "Damn!"**

 **Little does Coco know that Emerald is rising up from behind her, blades raised, turning around a second too late. The weapon descends with a ringing gunshot, and Coco is seen flying out of the forest, landing all the way in the centre of the stadium next to Yatsuhashi, also knocked unconscious. Emerald swings her sickles by their chains as Mercury looks over their defeated opponents.**

"Booo!" Nora heckles. "Unfair fight. Rule breaking. I call for disqualification."

"I'm not sure if that really applies." Yang says. "I hate to admit it, but I didn't see them do anything against the rules."

"Cinder rigged the match." Nora argues.

"And unfortunately, no one can prove, or even knows about that." Blake says.

" **And with an amazing upset, Emerald and Mercury are victorious!" Oobleck announces.**

" **Coco?" Velvet puts a hand over her mouth as Fox shakes his head.**

' _That must have been hard for them to watch._ ' Jaune thinks. _'Coco and Yatsuhashi were completely decimated in that fight.'_

 **Fox places a reassuring hand on Velvet's shoulder as Ruby looks into the stadium, no one noticing the smiling Cinder Fall behind them, getting up from her seat and walking away amid the combined cheers and boos from the crowds.**

Ruby feels a shiver run down her spine. Just knowing that the enemy is so close and that her future self is completely unaware.

 **The scene shifts to an elegant twilit pavilion area of ivy-covered pillars, rounded archways, and lion-decorated fountains, Weiss and her elder sister are sitting at a simple table with a plate full of croissants and strawberries. Winter is sipping from her teacup as Weiss repeats the news she was just told. "You're... leaving?"**

"No…" Weiss mournfully sulks. "I was hoping she'd be staying until at least the end of the Volume."

Ruby puts her hand on her partners shoulder in a comforting gesture. No words are shared, but Weiss still gives a grateful smile in response.

 **Winter puts her cup down. "Yes. I was merely needed to oversee the transport of additional units to Vale. Our last shipment was lost to an ambush. I believe you had a run-in with its cargo, actually."**

"More Paladin's in Vale." Yang notes. "That's… good I guess."

"Having difficulty in shaking the idea of them being enemies?" Blake asks.

"Sorta." Yang replies.

Blake shrugs. "I've had similar difficulties with regular Atlas knights. It's honestly disturbing how hard it is to reconcile something like this, even while your rational mind knows there's no relation."

"And that was why I was so bad at the end of Volume one." Weiss says.

" **It's fortunate those Paladins were in the prototype stage; otherwise your team may not have fared so well." Winter says, as Weiss sighs and looks down dejectedly.**

"We could have still handled it." Ruby boasts proudly.

"On the bright side, it's good Torchwick never got his hands of the final product." Pyrrha says.

 **Winter grabs her sister's hand reassuringly. "Weiss, you've done... well, out here, on your own. You should be proud. I'll be honest, it was quite amusing seeing Father's face the day you left for Beacon!"**

"Your sister seems much… nicer that she was last video." Oscar says.

"Of course." Weiss says. "She couldn't be so informal with her subordinates nearby."

 **Weiss straightens up and gives a proud smile, arms crossed. "I can't wait to show him what I learned!"**

" **Oh? Then what do you think you've learned?" Winter quips.**

" **What do you mean?" Weiss doesn't look directly at her sister. "I'm getting better and better with my glyphs! I've even started Time Dilation!"**

"Is Time Dilation that hard for you?" Jaune asks.

"It took a lot of practice." Weiss admits. "I doubt I'll be using it much in my actual fighting style, especially after it failed so badly during the train scene."

" **And what of your Summoning?" Winter stares intently at her sibling.**

" **I..." Weiss sighs and looks away. "You know I can't."**

Weiss suddenly becomes regretful. _'I shouldn't have overlooked that part of my training so much since coming to Beacon. It's just so… frustrating to never make any progress no matter how much effort I put into it.'_

" **Don't be ridiculous. Every Schnee has the ability to summon. We have for generations." Winter says.**

"Wait.. what?" Oscar questions. "I thought all semblances were unique. That's what the video from before said."

"It's slightly… we can discuss this later." Weiss dismisses.

" **I've tried!" Weiss splays her hands as she exasperatedly cries. "It's just... it's the one thing I'm having trouble with!"**

" **We Schnees are unique. Unlike many, our Semblance is hereditary." Winter says. "But that doesn't mean it will come easily."**

"That's it. That's the short of it." Weiss explains.

"But… doesn't that mean the video from before lied?" Oscar asks.

"This is more an exception that a rule." Weiss explains. "While I doubt it was lying, that doesn't mean that whoever was talking couldn't have an incomplete understanding.

 **Winter lifts her hand to summon a small, elaborate glyph over her palm. "Your Semblance is like a muscle. The more you practice with it, the stronger it will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it... If you fail to test the limits of what you think is possible…" The glyph expands suddenly in a bright flash, causing Weiss to turn away before looking back up in awe at the white-and-blue Beowolf now at her sister's side. "Then you'll never truly grow."**

"Grimm!" Nora frantically points to the screen. "How the… she can make Grimm? You can make Grimm?!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Weiss exclaims. "She's not making Grimm. It's more… I think it's like using the shape of Grimm as a blueprint for channelling an aspect of our semblance. It least I think so."

"That still sounds like making Grimm in a roundabout way." Yang says.

"It's inherently different." Weiss explains. "It will only act to follow her directions, and disappears if concentration is broken."

"So you may someday be able to do that too?" Ruby asks.

Weiss sighs. "Hopefully. But it's just so… frustrating."

 **Weiss smiles at this display of power she hopes to one day achieve.**

' _But maybe someday.'_ Weiss thinks. _'If I ever do master the ability to summon, it greatly increase my list of potential tactics.'_

" **You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby yells as red action lines appear behind her with battle music playing.**

' _That was an abrupt change.'_ Pyrrha thinks.

" **You're nothing but talk, kid!" Qrow responds, similar blue lines behind him.**

" **You can do it, Ruby!" Yang calls out her support as purple lines follow her.**

 **Then the entire scene is revealed to be in team RWBY's dorm room at Beacon Academy, and the screen of the video game Ruby and Qrow are playing is shown just as one of the pixelated ninjas decapitates the other, with the announcer saying "SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!" Qrow grins at his victory as Ruby lowers her head in shame.**

"Nooo!" Ruby whimpers. "I swear he cheats. It's like he messes with my scroll or something."

"Don't blame the controller." Yang says.

" **Ouch." Yang whispers.**

" **And by the way, don't ever call me old." Qrow says.**

"Qrow insists that he's in the prime of his life." Yang explains. "He's been doing it as long as I remember, but apparently the prime of his life keeps getting later and later."

Ruby grins. "He just doesn't want to admit it."

" **My turn!" Yang pushes her sibling out of her spot as she grabs the dropped controller.**

" **Now, where was I?" Qrow asks, as the next game starts.**

 **Ruby pops up from behind the two players excitedly. "You were telling us about your last mission!"**

"Could he end up revealing anything about his work with Ozpin to you?" Ren asks.

"I doubt it." Yang answers. "Come to think about it, he's always really vague about the actual purpose of his missions."

"Then what does he tell you?" Pyrrha asks.

"How he beat up lots of really strong Grimm and the things that happened during his travels." Ruby explains. "I once tried to force him into giving more details, but he said he couldn't because he's a professional."

" **Right, right..." Qrow nods as stylised art of him walking through an eerie neighbourhood.**

"Flashback art!" Nora cheers.

"Is that what we're calling it?" Sun checks.

"It seems appropriate." Weiss decides. "So far we've had Blake's at the end of Volume One, and Yang's half way through Volume Two. It seems like we might be getting one every Volume."

"And these Flashback art's are accurate?" Ren checks.

"Yeah." Yang confirms.

"In my case it was more symbolic, but yeah." Blake agrees.

" **I'd come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right." Qrow narrates.**

" **What were you doing there?" Ruby asks.**

" **I needed information." Qrow explains.**

"That's probably all the information we're gonna get." Ruby says.

"That is useful though." Ren says. "We knew he was gathering intel before. But from the sound of this, doing so is probably his role in Ozpin's group."

"So he's also been working as a spy." Yang deduces. "No wonder he's always able to sneak up on me."

" **Tired from battling Grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn." Art shows him walking up to the inn doors. "The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few Huntsmen that I could only assume had been hired by less-than reputable people for less-than respectable jobs." The people inside the inn are merely shadows, none showing their face, and all seemingly ready to strike at a moment's notice.**

Pyrrha frowns at the talk of dishonest Huntsmen. _'What is wrong with those kinds of people. Huntsmen and Huntresses are meant to be symbols of peace, but these people tarnish that.'_

" **And that's when it happened." Qrow looks on in shock at something completely unseen.**

" **What happened?" Yang asks.**

" **I was defeated..." Qrow kneels in his flashback under a spotlight. "By the mere sight..."**

"This could be bad." Weiss tenses up.

"I really doubt it." Ruby says. She knows Qrow well enough to understand that whatever comes next will be purposely anticlimactic.

 **Qrow suddenly grins. "…of the innkeeper's skirt length!" The vision shifts to pink hearts, and a beautiful maid with slightly-skimpy clothing, with a very happy Qrow admiring everything.**

"Damn it uncle Qrow!" Yang yells. "I was really getting interested when he decided to mess it up."

Weiss groans. "Is your uncle really such a pervert?"

"Not really." Ruby replies. "I think he was just trying to annoy Yang."

 **The artful flashback is interrupted when a dog-head pillow is thrown at the real Qrow, who deftly catches it, much to Yang's ire. "You are the worst!" With her attention diverted, Yang loses the match.**

"Well it looks like he succeeded." Jaune states. "Was it some kind of strategy to beat her?"

"With Qrow, it's hard to tell." Ruby says.

 **Ruby and Qrow both laugh at Yang's anger. "Best two out of three?" Qrow asks.**

" **So, Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby changes the subject, now sitting on Weiss' bed.**

 **Qrow waves the question off. "Nah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool."**

"Yes." Ruby gives a quiet cheer. "Good to know uncle Qrow doesn't plan on hiding that from us."

Blake nods her head. "I'm guessing Qrow's affiliation with Ozpin isn't regarded an important secret. There enemies already know it, so there's no sense in hiding it from you. Especially when you factor how it wouldn't seem suspicious to the media if they found out."

Ruby's smile dampens a bit. "And I was hoping he was letting us in on it."

"Doing so without telling you it's a secret would be a terrible mistake." Weiss says. "Otherwise how could he be certain you'd keep quiet."

 **Yang scoffs. "Cool for an old guy."**

" **Not funny." Qrow scowls at Yang.**

" **Hey, so, what are you doing here anyway?" Ruby asks. "I thought Dad said that you would be on a mission, for like... ever."**

"Did he really say that?" Oscar asks.

"Pretty much." Ruby replies. "He didn't go into any specifics, just that it would be years if we ever saw him again."

" **Well, a professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible." Qrow replies, beginning a new match against Yang.**

"So he got real results." Sun guesses.

"He learned that the enemy is in Vale." Blake remind him. "He's probably still technically on his mission, but since he's go family nearby, he may as well visit."

" **Yeeeeaaaah, I get that." Ruby giggles. "We're pretty much pros, too."**

" **Oh, really?" Qrow responds sarcastically.**

" **Psch, yeah! Read the news sometime." Yang grins. "We totally saved Vale while you were gone."**

Normally this would be the point where someone would interrupt and make a comment. But none of them did. They were either baring the shame of knowing their actions were just playing into Cinder's hand, or they were being considerate for the others.

" **Funny, because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train." Qrow retorts, winning the round as he leans over to rub it in his niece's face. "But they don't give out medals for almost."**

" **They do, and it's called silver!" Ruby resolutely replies.**

Weiss chuckles. "I'm not sure that fits into the message he was trying to convey."

"Well at least we tried." Yang argues. "We were also there to prevent casualties when The Breach happened, so that's gotta count for something."

"I'm not against you on that." Weiss says. "I'm just saying that with matters of such importance, success should be highly valued."

" **Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!" Yang says.**

"That's the part I just don't understand." Jaune says. "Cinder wanted Torchwick in jail, and Ironwoods fleet nearby. But how does that benefit them?"

"As I said before, this plan must have layers." Ren explains. "We can't understand it since we don't know what the objective is, or even if the is only one goal."

"You think they could be trying to do multiple things at once?" Pyrrha asks.

"I don't think we should overlook the possibility." Ren answers.

" **Sure, you may be acting like Huntresses, but you're not thinking like one." Qrow says. "You really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in a Kingdom?"**

 **Ruby taps her fingers together in embarrassment. "I mean, I did until you said that..."**

Ruby frowns. For so long she had everything a job well done, but these videos had shown her how wrong she was. "We really have a long way to go, don't we?"

"We're only in training." Weiss says. "We haven't had time to fully develop the key skills of skilled Huntresses. That's what the missions shadowing Huntsmen was for. We just… ended up with a mission of much greater importance than is common. We can't be expected to act like Pro's already." She says this, but even she is agitated by complete lack of success their mission apparently had. One of her proudest achievements to date had been rendered completely meaningless.

" **Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed; it's stopped, completely." Qrow sounds much more serious now. "No White Fang activity around the city. You cut off the head of the King Taijitu, but now the second head 's calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his."**

"You're uncle certainly has the right mindset." Pyrrha says. "His evaluation shows much merit, and is especially admirable when considering how we're now absolutely sure it's correct."

"I knew Uncle Qrow as a great Huntsman." Yang congratulates herself.

 **Yang exchanges a look with Ruby. "You... know the General?"**

" **Hey, I know everybody to some extent." Qrow reverts back to his usual joking demeanour. "Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon!" He reaches behind him into one of his pockets and pulls out a photo lined with stains and age of four figures - himself, Raven Branwen, Taiyang Xiao Long, and Summer Rose.**

"That's…!" Nora begins.

"The photo from the opening." Weiss finishes. "Team STRQ if I recall."

"Yep." Ruby confirms.

"We already knew they would be involved with this Volume after seeing it, but now I wonder if this small mention could be all that we get." Weiss ponders. "Were there any details in previous openings that barely had any part in the actual events?"

"I'll have to check." Ren says. "But even so, we don't have enough information to go on. I won't be able to confirm anything."

 **Yang's eyes widen as she looks at the photo, but Qrow purposely covers up her mother's face with his thumb. "Team STRQ... That's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day."**

"Yang?" Ruby turns to her sister in concern.

Yang doesn't make eye contact though, instead purposely averting her gaze. "Does her really not want me to know anything about her?"

"We… we can't be sure." Ruby assures. "Plus, at least you've gotten a clue from the last Volume. That has to count for something, right?"

"Y-yeah." Yang nods her head slowly.

" **Well known for crummy fashion sense!" Ruby jokes.**

" **Hey, we looked good! And I have a number of inappropriate stories to back that up!" Qrow wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, but notices Yang continuing to stare at the picture and puts it away. "But, I'll save those for when you're older."**

"Oh, gross!" Ruby recoils in disgust.

"Yeah… I really hope these videos don't contain anything like that." Jaune says.

"Would they though?" Sun asks. "I mean since we have Oscar here…" He trails of, looking to the boy who's entire body goes stiff.

"You could say the same about showing happened to… Tukson…" Weiss goes quiet as she mentions the name.

Blake sighs. "It's already been proven that the host is willing to show us horrible things. Showing adult topics isn't out of the question. All we can do is agree to be mature about the situation if it ever arises." _'I really hope it doesn't.'_

' _That's all good to say.'_ Jaune thinks. _'But I doubt any of us would react well to it, especially if one of us is involved.'_

" **Oh, gross!" Ruby recoils in disgust.**

 **Qrow gets up and walk towards the exit. "Anyways, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." He pauses in the doorway and sighs before addressing his family, Ruby and Yang looking up to him and Zwei sleeping on Blake's bed. "Look, just remember that you've still got a long way to go..." He turning around, holding up a finger up to express his seriousness. "And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done."**

"Do you think these videos will also help us develop a hunters judgment." Jaune wonders.

"What do you mean?" Yang asks.

"I mean… we may be learning plenty of valuable information, but it's like the answers are just given to us." Jaune answers. "These videos can't be considered a replacement for actually going through the events. Plus, we only get to see the highlights. If we're not careful, we may come out of this thinking we're more competent than we really are."

"That is worrying." Weiss admits. "It may be best to eventually consider our future selves as different people. In a way it could be considered true."

 **Qrow hitches a thumb over his shoulder. "Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning; if you never stop moving forward." With these words of wisdom, Qrow exits down the hall.**

"Those are words we could probably all learn from." Ren says.

 **Back in the pavilion, a caterpillar is slowly inching around on the edge of a fountain as Weiss points her Myrtenaster at the ground, creating a rotating glyph made of blade symbols with Winter behind her, appraising the effort.**

Weiss's back suddenly straitens, and her eyes widen. "Please let it happen." She whispers. "If I can just see myself do it, that would really help."

" **Excellent form! Now think to your fallen foes!" Winter instructs. "The ones who forced you to push past where you were, and become who you are now. Think of them, and watch as they come to your side."**

"Anything that comes to mind?" Ruby asks.

"I'm not sure." Weiss admits. "If I had to take a guess though, I would say the possessed armour from my trailer. That one certainly left the biggest impact on me." Her right had comes up to touch the scar over her eye.

 **The glyph flickers in and out of existence as Weiss grimaces in forced concentration. She does her best to make the wobbling circle follow her will, but eventually dismisses it and stomps the ground angrily. "I can't!"**

 **Winter's hand immediately comes down on Weiss' head in a slap. "Stop doubting yourself!"**

" **I'm trying!" Weiss turns around to face her sister.**

Weiss scowls. _'This is never going to work. I might as well just focus on perfecting everything else.'_

"Come on Weiss, look on the bright side." Ruby speaks with a cheerful voice.

"What bright side!" Weiss snaps.

"The fact that you summoning has been brought up twice this chapter." Ruby isn't the slightest bit deterred by Weiss's menacing expression.

Understanding suddenly washes over Weiss. If she never ends up summoning, then there would be much less reason to leave those parts in the video. Conversely, this means that since they were shown, the chance that she'll eventually see herself summon greatly increases. Of course, there's a chance it's just because there was no easy was to cut those parts out without the scene making no sense, but Weiss chooses to take a positive outlook on the situation instead.

" **If this is what you call trying, then you have no hope of winning the tournament, let alone succeeding as a Huntress!" Winter suddenly smiles as if an idea has occurred to her. "Why don't you just move back home? I'm sure Father would give you a nice job as a receptionist!"**

"Would he really do that?" Nora asks.

"He wouldn't." Weiss replies. "But not for the reason you're thinking." _'If people found out that the heiress was taking o such a menial job, the reputation of the company would be tarnished, and he would never allow that. At least, not in a way he considers to be tarnishing.'_

 **Weiss looks away. "I don't need his charity!"**

 **Winter leans in close. "But you do need his money, don't you?"**

" **What!? How did you know about that!?" Weiss asks.**

"Could she have been told to send a message?" Oscar suggest.

"Extremely unlikely." Weiss states. "In fact, I would go as fat as to say it's impossible."

"W-Why?" Oscar had just wanted to take part in a conversation when he asked the question. He hadn't put much thought into it.

"My father and sister are on very poor terms." Weiss answers. "Their relationship was never good to begin with, and got much worse when she joined to military."

" **Lucky guess." Winter straightens back up. "I may have been in a similar situation when I joined the military. So what have you done this time?"**

"So if your sister went through the same thing as you, does that mean you could have your title as heiress revoked?" Sun asks.

"That's not how it works." Weiss explains. "Winter had to give up her title since joining the military means she would be officially working under someone else. But a Huntress has no such superior, so it's entirely possible to work both jobs at once, especially if I integrate them together."

" **Well, that's the thing: I'm really not sure!" Weiss replies as Winter circles around her. "I went to pay for lunch the other day, but the card didn't work!"**

"You really don't realise?" Yang asks.

"Future Weiss, remember." Weiss says. "Our knowledge and perspectives are different."

" **How embarrassing." Winter says.**

" **I know!" Turns around to see Winter shaking her head. "Well, it was! Why would he cut me off like that?"**

" **Perhaps so that you'd stop avoiding him and call home." Winter says.**

 **Instead of answering, Weiss attempts once more to create a summoning glyph, gritting her teeth.**

"You really want to avoid your father that badly?" Jaune asks.

"I…" Weiss searches for the right words. "I already know what he'd want to talk to me about, and I have no interest in that conversation."

 **Seeing her sisters frustration, Winter places a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Emotions can grant you strength. But you must never let them overpower you." The attempted glyph flickers and fades once more, though neither of them pay it any attention.**

"Yang, I think you might need that advice the most." Ruby says.

"What did I do!?" Yang responds. "Weiss is the one being told! Besides, I have a good grasp on my emotions."

"While I admit to needing some improvements in this area, you're the one who needs it the most." Weiss says. "Remember what happened when you fought Neo?"

"If she had fought me normally it wouldn't have been a problem." Yang argues.

"Exactly my point." Weiss says.

" **It sounds to me like you have two choices in front of you." Winter explains. "You can either call him, beg for his money back, and explain once more why you would want to study at Beacon over Atlas, or you could continue to explore Remnant, discovering more about the world and honestly, more about yourself." She allows Weiss a moment to absorb this.**

"This is an extremely important moment." Weiss says, having gone so calm it could be mistaken for a daze.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks. She already has a good idea, but hopes Weiss vocalising it will help.

"So far this volume we've learned plenty of useful information, but we haven't seen ourselves make important decisions." Weiss talks slowly, like her attention isn't fully on the words. "But now this is it. I get to see the outcome of whatever decision I make, and can choose the alternative if I wish." _'But why'd it have to be me? Couldn't it have been someone else first? I never wanted my personal life put in the spotlight like this.'_ Despite herself, she's really filled with anticipation. She does want to cut more of her ties with her father, but doing so will undoubtably come with many challenges. But if she can see herself overcome it, and come out a better person for it, that would make her own decision so much easier.

"What do you hope you do?" Blake asks. She has her own hopes on what will be picked, but she can't ask for it. Doing so would come too close to what Adam had previously done to her.

"I…" Weiss clears her throat. "I don't want to risk being forced back to Atlas." She has more she wants to say, but she's already revealed so much of her emotions, she can't go any further.

Ruby smiles. She's wanted to support Weiss on this front for a long time, but knew it would be better for her if she managed it on her own.

" **It's time for me to go." Winter gives her sister a hug, which Weiss returns with a smile.**

 **Weiss slowly breaks off from the embrace. "It was really good to see you, Winter."**

 **Winter smiles sadly. "Until next time, sister."**

Weiss's eyes water up slightly at the farewell. _'I hope we get to see more of Winter in the future. That would really be nice.'_

" _ **Some believe in fairy stories, and the ghosts that they can't see."**_ **Music plays.**

"That's the song!" Sun recalls. "I was wondering when we'd get to hear it."

"Way to ruin an emotional moment." Weiss grumbles.

"Sorry!" Sun quickly apologises.

 **The two Schnees walk out of the pavilion and go in opposite directions, neither of them noticing a caterpillar crawling across the floor bumping into a miniature, brightened version of a familiar-looking broadsword that disappears into icy sparkles.** _"_ _ **I know that I could do so much, if I could just believe in me."**_

Weiss's jaw drops at the unexpected sight. She slowly covers her mouth with her hands, until swelling emotions inside her burst. "I did it!" She yells out, arms up in victory. "I… I can do it! I did it!"

"You did it!" Ruby enthusiastically congratulates her partner. "Well done, I knew you could."

"Of course I could!" Weiss snaps back, but her doesn't carry the usual venom, and her eyes are practically sparkling.

"Erm…" Nora interrupts. "Isn't it your other self that did it?"

"That doesn't matter." Weiss replies. "I now have no reason to doubt my ability to do it. And if what winter said is true, that was the thing holding me back." _'I am so looking forward to next break. If I can just replicate that little bit of success, then that would mean so much.'_ All of her previous thoughts about the tough decision her other self was going through were forgotten. Instead she entirely filled with joy and excitement.

" _ **Mirror mirror, I'll tell you something."**_ **Later at night, Weiss is in the school courtyard, waving goodbye at the airship carrying her sister. She stops just as her Scroll starts vibrating with an incoming call from "FATHER", and her finger hovers over the screen in uncertainty until she closes her eyes to decide the path she will take.**

This sudden reminder snaps Weiss out of her excitement, and reminds her of how important the moment is. The sudden shift in thoughts brings her to remember the lyrics of the song. "I think I might change it all."

"What was that?" Ruby only barely heard Weiss's muttering.

"I know what decision I'm going to make." Weiss states confidently.

"Are you sure?" Blake asks. "This is a big deal for you."

"Not that." Weiss corrects. "I mean, I know what decision my future self will make."

"That's… slightly obvious." Jaune says. "I mean, no offence, but the way the entire scene is set up with the music and everything, it's hard to believe you will talk to him."

Weiss sighs. "That's true."

" _ **I think I might change it all."**_ **Weiss smiles at the sight of her closed Scroll, she puts it away and walks back inside as the scene fades to black.**

Present Weiss also smiles. Just looking at the way her other self treated this decision, it's hard to imagine she'll make a different choice, or that she'll regret it. In fact, even if she does end up seeing it going badly, she decides that she won't let it deter her. She'll use the opportunity to find a better way, and this time have everything work out.

"Weiss." Pyrrha looks to the heiress. "Do you… want to take a break."

' _Yes.'_ "No, it's fine." Weiss decides not to let the others know just how much this affected her. "We only just started watching, we should continue."

" _ **Welcome to the bloodbath jump into the tub.**_

 _ **Fist-fight, death-match come and join the club."**_

"But before we continue, I think paying attention to this song if quite important." Weiss says.

"This means Ren won't have to go back to write the lyrics." Nora says.

"I'll probably still write them." Ren says. "This song seems important."

" _ **Kick-start your face with a metal-clad boot.**_

 _ **You should give up now your retaliation's moot."**_

"Anyone else notice how it's sung by two different people?" Jaune asks.

"I'm guessing the woman represents Emerald and the man is Mercury." Blake says. "There's the obvious reason of course, but also how the guy talked about a metal boot."

" _ **I'll run circles round ya, I can touch the sky.**_

 _ **I'm gonna make ya hurt and I'm gonna make you cry."**_

"I remember this part form when Mercury ran around Coco's shots." Yan says. "Does that mean we need to watch the fight for context?"

"I hope not." Sun says. "

" _ **You want to mess around? Well come on let's go.**_

 _ **I got no time to waste let's start the show."**_

"It's taunting us." Jaune groans.

"I believe it's taunting Coco and Yatsuhashi." Pyrrha says. "This song does seem directed at them."

"Yeah, but it's still annoying." Jaune says.

" _ **I'm the one that your mama said,**_

 _ **'don't mess with them or you'll end up dead.**_

 _ **That type they don't follow any rules.'**_

 _ **You're looking tall, you're looking tough.**_

 _ **I'm sorry dude, it's not enough.**_

 _ **Your girlfriend's purse won't help you win this duel."**_

"Does this mean they know that they're the villains?" Ruby asks. "It doesn't sound like they think highly of their own morals."

"My guess is that they don't care about morals." Yang says. "They're just out to get what they want, and understand they're not good people."

" _ **The bigger they are then the more that they bleed.**_

 _ **The deeper the scars that won't heal.**_

 _ **Buckets of pain as they lie there in shame.**_

 _ **Knowing how true defeat feels."**_

"That's morbid." Blake says. "They really do seem like the worst kind of people."

Yang is concerned by this. She knows Blake's hatred against them is justified, but it's not a good idea to demonise them so much.

" _ **I'm the one,**_

 _ **That was born in a nightmare a murderer's son."**_

"That sounds important." Nora quickly interrupts the song. "Right?"

"Definitely." Ren nods. "So Mercury's father is a murderer. I wonder if it's possible to find any information on him?"

"I somehow doubt the two are still in contact." Pyrrha says. "It says 'born in a nightmare' after all. So it sounds like he might have had an abusive childhood."

"That does sound pretty likely." Yang agrees. "It would also explain how he turned to villainy."

"But… wouldn't he learn to hate that kind of behaviour?" Ruby asks.

"That's not really how it works." Yang shakes her head. "I can't say I know much about it, but children of villains often turn out bad themselves."

"Because of how they're raised." Blake states this before any misunderstanding can be reached.

" _ **Got no gun.**_

 _ **But I gleam like a blade and I'm harder than iron."**_

' _Does he consider himself a weapon?_ ' Ren wonders. _'It seems as if he considers his weapon as a literal part of himself. I wonder if we've ever seen him without them?'_

" _ **I'm the one.**_

 _ **Who rose out of filth and was loved by no-one."**_

"I guess we can say the same thing about Emerald." Jaune says, referring to the bad parenting. "That, or she might have never known her parents."

' _I really don't like how much I relate to those lines._ ' Nora thinks. _'The less similarities I see between myself and Emerald, the better.'_

" _ **Delusion.**_

 _ **I'll steal til your blind and defeat you from inside your mind."**_

"I guess that supports the 'Emerald has a disguise semblance.'" Ruby says.

"Perhaps not." Weiss says.

"Huh?" Ruby prompts for more.

"It sounds like she doesn't change herself, but rather, how people see her." Weiss explains. "There are probably some practical differences between the two."

"Oh I get it." Sun agrees. "Like how if he's imitating someone big like Yatsuhashi, trying to hit his head won't do anything because she's not actually there."

"Exactly." Weiss nods.

" _ **You're still standing up? Well let's go another round.**_

 _ **Singin' king of pain and you're gonna get crowned.**_

 _ **You like the way I dress? Yeah I know I'm fine.**_

 _ **The blood's gonna stain but it won't be mine."**_

"And back to the taunting." Jaune says.

"I'm guessing we'll only get value out of some of this." Pyrrha says. "Other parts just seem pointless."

" _ **Just chill here while I drop into the brush.**_

 _ **See you when I land and you're gonna feel the crush.**_

 _ **Lay right down and grab a little rest.**_

 _ **I guess you didn't know that you were dealing with the best."**_

' _It really was embarrassing how easily they beat the other team.'_ Oscar thinks. _'I barely know the first thing about fighting and I was impressed.'_

" _ **You shoulda stayed at home today.**_

 _ **This fisticuff won't go your way.**_

 _ **This confrontation isn't just for school.**_

 _ **It might be hard to hear me say.**_

 _ **Kicking your ass is child's play.**_

 _ **I hope you're not crushed by this ridicule."**_

"Not just for school?" Sun quotes.

"It must refer to how they're out enemies outside of the tournament as well." Blake explains.

"I knew that." Sun retorts.

" _ **A slap on the wrist and a kick to the chin.**_

 _ **A hint of the flavour of steel.**_

 _ **No one to blame it's the end of the game.**_

 _ **The humiliation is real."**_

"Anyone figure out what that means?" Yang asks.

No-one answers.

" _ **I'm the one,**_

 _ **that was ripped from the earth and exposed to the sun."**_

"Pretty sure that's meant to mean something." Weiss says. "But it doesn't make much sense."

" _ **Overrun,**_

 _ **by the hate and the beatings defiled by a father."**_

"Well that confirms it." Jaune says. "Though I'm not sure how that helps us."

"It means we can build a profile." Blake explains. "It will help us predict what he will do if different situations."

"Right… thanks." _'Maybe I should think about that more. I am a team leader after all.'_

" _ **I'm the one,**_

 _ **I'll race with your eyes and you'll never outrun.**_

 _ **Illusions,**_

 _ **will conquer your mind and will make you fulfil my design."**_

"Sounds like Emerald might be really important to Cinder's plan." Ruby says.

"I'm not surprised." Weiss says. "With a semblance like that, it's very dangerous how much damage they can do. Especially with all the information form the CCT they must have."

"That is definitely bad." Yang agrees. "We gotta do something about that."

"Next video!" Nora yells, only to get a bunch of stares. "What, it's not like we were planning anything else?"

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Coco and Yatsuhashi about to fight Emerald and Mercury

Coco and Emerald seem to get along, part of Emeralds infiltration is being friendly

Mercury and Emerald retreat into grass

New song, likely about Mercury and Emerald

Mercury fights both on his own, has the upper hand

Mercury can shoot from his boots

Mercury has ultimate move where shots surround then converge on opponent

Emerald's chain pulls Coco into the forest

Mercury and Yatsuhashi continue fighting

Coco no longer likes Emerald

Emerald very skilled at being unseen, likely picked up from time as a thief

Yatsuhashi appears to back up Coco

Yatsuhashi eliminated at geyser field. This conflicts with him appearing to Coco. Need to understand Inconsistency

Theory: Emerald's semblance allows her to disguise self as someone else, reason why she separated them

Emerald and Mercury win

Scene change to Weiss and Winter, Winter reveals that she's leaving

Winter was transporting Atlas weaponry, likely not a cover

Weiss and Winter have a nice moment, talk about summoning, Weiss can't summon

Ruby and Yang playing games with Qrow

Qrow explains last mission, instead makes a joke, possibly hiding details about his mission for a reason

Qrow admits to being close to Ozpin

Qrow berates sisters about poor performance leading up to breach

No White Fang crime since breach, Qrow understands that this means something

Qrow purposely hides Ravens face on STRQ photo

Reminder that experience far outweighs lessons

Weiss attempting Summoning, failing

Winter knows about Weiss losing access to money, went through similar situation

Weiss avoiding her father

Weiss needs to make decision: confront father or find her own way

Winter leaves, trace of Weiss's Summoning revealed (future Weiss doesn't notice)

Weiss decides to make her own way

Emerald and Mercury song:

Two singer's, male and female, representing them

Lyrics are taunting

They knowingly disregard morals

Mercury's father is a murderer, bad relationship (possibly abusive)

Mercury considers himself a weapon?

Emerald in similar situation or never knew parents

Emerald's semblance might change how others see her rather than how she appears

Reference how they're our enemies outside the tournament

Emerald important to Cinder's plans

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I may have rushed this at the end (on account of me putting of the story for so long) so don't forget to tell me how to improve. Be it by adding more lines, or changing them to fit character better.**

 **If you could get a reaction fic for any story, what would it be? When would it be set? Who would be reacting? How would the entire thing be set up? I don't plan on doing any requests myself, but I'm very interested.**

 **Next chapter will be a non-canon JNPR vs SSSN fight. Sorry to disappoint people who what to get into the real meat of the story.**

 **Could you please visit my profile before asking a question, it contains some of my more frequently asked questions and I would rather not repeat myself.**


	40. V3: C5: Never Miss a Beat

**This chapter being here means the next one is available on Spacebattles.**

 **Since people have been having problems navigating my story there here is some advice: Use the threadmarks**

* * *

 **Volume 3: Chapter 5: Never Miss a Beat**

"Anyone know what that means?" Weiss asks.

"It means music obviously, but past that, I really have no idea." Jaune answers.

"It could mean we get another song." Blake says.

"I hope so." Yang says. "Especially if it's as useful as the last one."

 **The first scene is that of Amity Colosseum's mountain biome being bombarded by several explosions all around the area. Russel Thrush, daggers in hand, is running from the mayhem before spinning around, ready to face his opponents, who turns out to be the familiar face of Penny Polendina and her beret-wearing teammate.**

"Penny!" Ruby cheers. "We haven't seen her in ages."

"Wasn't she there just after the between your uncle and Winter?" Oscar asks.

"That barely counts." Ruby dismisses. "She didn't even say anything."

"Well it looks like she's doing a good job against team CRDL." Pyrrha says.

"Penny's definitely going to the singles." Ruby nods enthusiastically.

 **With an ever-present smile and simple arm movements, Penny summons six floating swords from behind her and rears them back before launching them in a ring at Russel, who barely manages to duck behind a rock to protect himself.**

"I'm sorta disappointed that we're seeing this fight." Weiss says. "It seems like a foregone conclusion, so it's just wasting time for the more important parts."

"Don't be like that." Jaune says. "If I'm judging this right, then we're just being shown that she does win, sorta like when we saw Cinder's team in the four on four match."

"Please don't make that comparison." Ruby says.

"I'm just saying it'll be short." Jaune replies.

 **Wasting no time, Penny does the same thing with another group of blades, homing in on the other CRDL teammate Sky Lark until he uses his own halberd to vault over another stone for defence.**

"Sky and Russel?" Sun questions. "How'd they convince Cardin not to go to move forward?"

"That does seem weird." Blake agrees. "He doesn't seem like the kind of person to give up so easily."

"I know!" Nora declares loudly. "I saw them fighting each other for the right to move forward, but Cardin kept hitting his teammate by accident."

"That would probably do it." Jaune agrees. "Plus, Cardin's been relatively… better, ever since what happened in forever fall."

 **The two exchange a worried look at the sight of their rocks still pierced with multiple blades, and Penny grins in combat-ready fierceness as she looks to her partner, who simply taps her watch as if hurrying Penny up.**

"Looks like Penny's fighting them alone." Yang comments.

"Of course she is." Ruby says proudly. "She's awesome like that."

"It's still taking me time to remember she's made of metal." Oscar comments. "Your lives really do seem like they come straight from a story."

"I consider that a compliment." Ruby responds.

 **Wasting no time, Penny raises her hands like a puppetmaster and uses the near-invisible strings attached to each hilt to lift the giant rocks up in the air, with the screaming Russel and Sky still hanging on. Bringing her arms down to her sides, the stones come crashing to the ground as well, leaving Penny's opponents in the grass. Her swords come back to her pack as the buzzer rings.**

" **And victory goes to Penny and Ciel of Atlas!" Oobleck announces over the broadcast system.**

"Told you it'd be quick." Jaune says.

"Does that count towards the two matches a video thing we were talking about earlier?" Yang wonders.

"That only happened once." Ren reminds her. "Most videos seem to be one main fight with other events happening before and afterwards."

"But those other bits are the more interesting parts." Blake says. "Watching fights may seem good, but in terms of actually learning things, they're rather lacking."

"They make it more enjoyable though." Ruby says. "I've actually had a lot of fun watching most of these videos."

 **Penny places a fist in her palm and bowing in respect to her fallen foes, still smiling. "Thank you for a wonderful time."**

 **The two victors turn to leave the stadium as Russel feebly reaches out, only to get hit in the head by an errant stone.**

"I sorta hope he didn't have his aura completely depleted." Sun says. "Wouldn't want them any dumber than they are now."

"Could we not insult them behind their backs." Jaune says. "It just feels wrong."

"How about with Cinder's group?" Nora asks.

Jaune shrugs. "That's fine. They've practically admitted to being villains."

 **Watching from the stands, Ruby sees them start to walk away and excitedly gets up from her seat with the rest of her team to meet them at one of the exits. "Penny!" She calls out just as her friend and another girl are about to leave.**

"So I'm guessing the girl in blue is her partner." Oscar says.

"You could always check the parchment." Blake suggests.

"Wait!" Yang interrupts just as Oscar's about to pick it up. "Shouldn't we wait until she's properly introduced. It's going to happen after all."

"If you say so." Oscar agrees.

"You're really adverse to spoilers, aren't you?" Weiss says.

Ruby snorts. "I wish. She's made it her life mission to spoil anything I'm starting to get into.

This comes as a surprise to Weiss. Not because it doesn't match Yang's personality, it fact it matches shockingly well. But through their entire time here Yang has been the one most insistent on learning things in the proper order. She turns to Yang. "Then why are you so against us learning things prematurely?" There's no reason to keep this to herself, they're all friends after all, and even Oscar has turned out to be a good kid after some time getting to know him.

"So we don't jump to conclusions." Yang answers confidently, but underneath that she feels her stomach turn. Is that really the reason? Or is she just making excuses? She truly doesn't want to share Ruby's letter with anyone, and this is part of the reason, but she also can't deny that she wants to ignore its existence. Maybe it was just a dream, she's only looked at it once after all, so she could have just imagine it.

Regardless of what the truth is, if she takes out whatever's in her pocket and shows it to everyone else she won't be able to deny its existence anymore. The sad undertone behind Ruby's words will be real, and whatever caused it will be undeniable. She knows she's being stupid by doing this, but there's no hurry, she can put it of for just one more video.

That's what she told herself since she got the letter, and she's been doing so ever since.

"Yang does have a point." Ren agrees, and in doing so, makes it that much harder to reveal herself. "Knowing things in advance can easily cloud our vision. Remember, we thought the Breach was a failure, so we never put enough thought into what it could achieve."

"I see your point." Weiss says. "But I don't like it."

" **Ruby!" Penny lifts up her arms, and tackles her friend into a hug that leaves them both of them on the ground.**

 **Ruby groans weakly. "Why..."**

"Is she heavy?" Sun asks. "I mean, she's made of metal, so…"

"It's not nice to talk about a friends weight." Ruby says. "But yeah, she's pretty heavy."

 **Penny gets up energetically and gestures to the other girl. "Ruby, this is my teammate."**

" **Ciel Soleil." The girl bows formally.**

"Told you it would happen." Yang boasts.

"No one disagreed." Blake retorts.

 **Ruby raises her hand in greeting. "Hi! I'm Ru…"**

" **Ruby Rose. 15." Ciel interrupts. "Hails from Patch. Leader of Team RWBY. Status: Questionable."**

"She doesn't seem very friendly." Pyrrha says.

"Seems more like an escort than a teammate." Weiss agrees.

"You thinks Ironwood appointed her to watch over Penny?" Ruby asks.

"I'd be surprised if that's not the case." Weiss says. "I'm honestly surprised there's not more people watching over her."

"I think there usually are." Ruby admits. "It's pretty hard for us to meet up."

 **Ruby goes silent for a second. "Sooo... Penny!" She turns back to her friend. "You two were incredible out there. How do you keep control of all those swords? It's so coo…"**

" **Penny?" Ciel interrupts again, gesturing to her watch. "I believe it is best if we move on to our next location."**

"Where does Penny spend most of her time?" Oscar asks.

"I'm not sure." Ruby answers. "I think it might be training, but she also goes on these sorta guided tours where she's shown around the city.

 **Penny exchanges a look with Ruby before asking Ciel: "Could we have just a minute to talk?"**

 **In response, Ciel checks the time, then takes a step back and nods, starting the countdown.**

"She seems pretty… strict?" Sun asks.

"Definitely a no nonsense person." Blake says. "I wouldn't be surprised if she actually counts the seconds."

"Look at her, she's definitely counting the seconds." Yang says.

" **So is she... your friend or..." Ruby asks awkwardly.**

" **Well, in a way." Penny responds. "She's like Blake, but if Blake was ordered to spend time with you."**

Blake is taken aback by this. "I don't actually act like that, do I?"

"Not really." Yang says. "It's actually a pretty shallow way of looking at people."

"Could that be a result of her being a robot?" Jaune wonders.

"No." Ruby's answer is unyielding in it's defence of her friend. "Blake and Penny have barely spent any time together, so she can't make a good judgment."

"Then why make the comparison?" Pyrrha asks.

Ruby sheepishly rubs the back of her head. "I may not have been very good at describing everyone when we get to talk."

" **Oh. So, Weiss." Ruby says.**

" **Precisely." Penny agrees.**

Weiss is slightly insulted by this description. "Please tell me you don't think of me like that."

"I'm just making a joke with a friend. Stop pestering me over things I won't ever say." Ruby replies.

 **Ruby lowers her voice. "Does she know about... y'know... beep boop bop, does not compute?" She moves her body abruptly as if imitating a robot, leaving her arm to hang with a noticeable squeaking sound.**

' _It's actually good to see Ruby's so casual about the way she says it.'_ Blake thinks. _'It probably goes to show how little she thinks it matters. Penny is her friend, she has orange hair, a metallic body, and a pink bow.'_

 **Penny shakes her head. "Oh no. General Ironwood doesn't really want anyone to know. There was an incident with a magnet, but I was able to play it off."**

 **Flashback to the Vytal Festival grounds with Ciel and Penny, who's wearing a large sun hat. The wind picks up and lifts the hat from her hair, revealing the aforementioned magnet on her skull, and Penny quickly shoves the headgear back on before Ciel turns back around. The story causes Ruby and Penny to laugh about it in the present for several seconds.**

Ruby giggles at this, so a few of the others join in. While they all want to see the important parts, it's nice to just watch some pleasant interactions, it helps them ease out of the tension that's been building ever since the volume started.

" **Ruby." Penny's voice turns serious, while still smiling. "There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."**

Ruby's attention suddenly goes into full focus. Penny isn't usually one for talking like this. In fact, the last time it happened was when she revealed herself to be a robot.

 **Penny glances over at Ciel before leaning in and whispering to Ruby. "I want to stay at Beacon."**

"Oh Penny…" Ruby can't help but give out a soft sigh after hearing this. In their time together it's become clear that she's her first real friend, so she's given her all to being the best friend she can be. But she knows that their time will eventually be cut short, the Atlas Military probably considers her too valuable to let outside of Solitas for too long.

Weiss also feels a deep sympathy for Penny. She knows better than anyone else here how it feels to want to stay with friends rather than return "home". She was able to escape by using Beacons prestige, but she doubts that would ever work for Penny.

" **Penny, they'll never let you do that." Ruby understands this much.**

" **I know, but I have a plan." Penny goes from frowning to a mischievous grin.**

"This'll be interesting." Sun says.

"This could be really bad!" Blake stresses. "If she things her plan can keep her at Beacon then it must be really big in scale. That means very bad things if it goes wrong."

"Penny wouldn't do anything like that." Ruby argues.

"We already know something bad is going to happen." Blake reminds everyone. "And with Cinder being involved, we can say it's not impossible she uses Penny's plan for her own purposes."

"I…" Ruby struggles for words. She can't deny how Blakes logic works, but at the same time she knows Penny will have good intentions. "Whatever happens, it's not Penny fault."

"We know that." Pyrrha agrees. "Even if she's involved, it's not her fault."

 **Ciel steps between the girls, pointing to her watch. "It's been precisely one minute, ma'am."**

' _She really does seem like a stickler for rules.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I hope this is just an extreme case, I don't like to think that Atlas Academy does this to people. But I guess Winter hasn't changed too much, so Ciel could just while on duty.'_

" **I'll talk to you more soon, Ruby." Penny leaves with a wave, that Ruby happily returns.**

" **Our next match will begin in 15 minutes!" Port is heard over the stadium speakers.**

 **Ruby suddenly looking really excited as she clasps her hands together. "Oh my gosh, that's right! It's time for…"**

" **Well, now it's our turn!" Yang stands in the centre of the field with Weiss at her side, stretching out her arms.**

"About time." Yang says. "Now we finally get to see who our next opponents are."

"It could be quite useful." Weiss agrees. But her motivation for analysing her opponents has vastly decreased ever since learning about how matches are rigged. She knows it shouldn't make a difference, but it was enough to make her stop taking notes.

" **Just remember to keep proper form." Weiss nags.**

This actually sparks an interesting idea in Pyrrha's mind. "Has anyone noticed a change in their fighting style during the previous matches?"

"Seemed normal to me." Sun says. Everyone else agrees in some form or another.

"I was just wondering what we should do when we see ourselves improve." Pyrrha says. "It's rather unprecedented to see the moves you'll eventually come up with, so I'm not sure if it's beneficial for us to replicate them."

"Wouldn't it be like getting lessons from an expert?" Blake asks.

"I wasn't talking as broad as that." Pyrrha replies. "Copying an expert is like seeing what moves work, but each person has to adjust slightly given their proportions and centre of mass. I watch my old matches so I can perfect these slight changes, but watching my future self is entirely different."

"I… doubt the rest of us want to do that." Ruby says. "Wouldn't it be better to learn from experience?"

"I guess." Pyrrha replies. _'I know it's not usually effective, I just thought because we're watching the future it might be better than usual.'_

 **Yang chuckles. "Alright. You're from Atlas. What could we expect?"**

" **Well, seeing as their Kingdom, academy and armed forces are all merged as one, I think we can expect strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategies." Weiss lists off the facts as Yang loosens up her legs as well.**

"How would you suggest fighting a team like that?" Ruby asks.

"I suppose it would be best to interrupt their strategies part way through." Weiss answers. At this point she doesn't care enough to hide her strategies from the other teams.

"That could work." Jaune agrees. "But they're probably prepared for that. I would instead do something completely unconventional. If you can change the situation enough that everyone has to improvise, then the people who are used to rehearsed strategies are at a disadvantage."

"That would probably work." Pyrrha agrees. "What would you suggest?"

"Probably changing the arena in some way." Jaune says. "If you can break the floor so they have bad footing that should be enough to throw them of a bit."

 **At that very moment, a rainbow zooms past the two surprised Huntresses-in-training, coming to a stop opposite them, revealing a pigtailed Faunus girl with roller blades and a cat tail swishing around her nunchaku next to a young man wearing a fedora and sunglasses, holding a trumpet in one hand.**

 **Weiss recovers from her shock faster than the open-mouthed Yang. "Or whatever they are."**

"I thought Atlas was meant to be strict." Nora says. "This is the exact opposite of what I expected."

"I just said what I heard from my sister." Weiss complains. "I can't be expected to know everything about the place.

' _This does seem weird though.'_ Blake thinks. _'I didn't expect them to have a Faunus representing Atlas, though I suppose the Academy doesn't choose who represents them, instead they hold preliminaries.'_ She focuses on the Faunus girls cheerful smile. _'Maybe this team is full of the social outcasts, so they act supper expressive in order to…'_ She cuts her line of thinking here. It's better not to assume someones position when you don't know them.

" **Hey!" Flint gestures at Weiss, smiling. "You Weiss Schnee, right? The heiress."**

" **I am." Weiss bows her head, smiling at the recognition.**

"Could the Atlas students have some kind of resentment since you left for Beacon?" Ren wonders.

"That's possible." Weiss admits. "But this guy seems pretty nice."

"That reminds me." Ren turns to Oscar. "Names?"

"Err… right." Oscar picks up the parchment and finds them. "Flint Coal and Neon Katt. I'm guessing you can tell who's who."

"I can, thanks." Ren says, making some quick notes.

" **I take it you're pretty good with Dust, then?" Flint comments.**

 **Weiss shrugs humbly. "I do my best."**

"Weiss, you may want to retract you previous statement about this guy." Yang says.

"Why?" Weiss fails to understand.

" **Yeah, my dad was good too. Owned a little Dust shop of his own." Flynt nods his head, eyes hidden behind his shades, until his smile turns into a scowl, tone turning hostile. "Till your father's company ran him out of business."**

"Told you." Yang remarks.

Weiss winces in a mixture of embarrassment and guilt. "It's not my fault."

"It's not." Blake agrees. "But you can't blame him for making the connection. He probably thinks you'll be like your father so he can justify taking out his frustrations on you."

"Is there any way I can show I'm not like my father?" Weiss asks.

"Not if that's the goal of your actions." Blake answers. "Just be yourself and eventually he'll take notice of who you really are. If he doesn't then you don't need validation from someone like that."

"You're surprisingly wise in these things." Sun says.

"I'm just saying what I think." Blake says. "Real life is much more complicated though. You can't solve all these problems with simple solutions."

" **Oh." Weiss looks ashamed now. "I'm sorry to hear that."**

" **Sure you are." Flynt looks away sarcastically.**

' _He doesn't have to be so condescending.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I was apologising… or was I? I should have made it more clear rather than let my words sound like social obligation.'_

 **Yang raises her finger. "Hey! Why don't you…"**

" **Hey! Why don't you?" Neon interrupts with an unflattering imitation as she points at Yang. "That's what you sound like!"**

"I… I don't understand." Yang stutters.

"I think she might have insulted you. Hard to tell." Sun says.

" **Uh..." Yang struggles for a proper reaction.**

" **Hey! Where'd you get your hair extensions?" Neon asks, tone indicating she's actively trying to be annoying.**

"Is she trying to annoy me?" Yang asks furiously.

"Probably." Pyrrha admits. "It's actually a good strategy, not that I would ever use it."

"Jokes on her. My Semblance is easier to use when I'm angry." Yang smirks.

"I thought you absorbed hits to get stronger." Oscar says.

"Well yeah, but I can get a little boost if I'm angry. Not as much as if I get hit, but it's something." Yang explains.

' _That's not a very good fighting style.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'I should probably talk to her about it soon. I was planning on waiting until after the tournament, but that seems so unimportant right now.'_

" **This is just my normal hair." Yang replies.**

" **Ooh, really?" Neon does everything she can to make it sound like a bad thing.**

 **Yang can no longer hold back her annoyance. "Yeah! Is that a prob…"**

" **You should try rollerblading sometime! It's super fun!" Neon cuts Yang off, spinning in place as she continues rapidly. "It'd probably take you a while, though, since you're so... you know, top-heavy."**

By this point Yang has to actively disconnect herself from watching in order to calm down. It's not that she's not paying attention, but she's simply reminded herself that it's just images and sounds.

 **Yang looks down at herself as the holographic roulette begins. "Excuse me!?"**

" **Oh, here we go." Up in the stands, Ruby rolls her eyes.**

"Ruby!" Yang calls out in joking accusation.

"You know how you can get sometimes." Ruby says.

 **The field opens around the four combatants, and up rises the volcanic area, sandy desert, steaming geysers, and ruined buildings.**

" **Three! Two! One! Begin!" Port starts the match.**

 **Right as it starts, Flynt raises the instrument to his lips and blows, issuing forth a sound wave that blows both Weiss and Yang back from the force.**

"That seems like a dangerous move we can prepare for now." Blake says. "Weiss, I guess you're writing this down."

"Why would Weiss be writing anything?" Ruby asks, confused since Ren is the one on writing duty.

Blake is about to respond when Weiss interrupts. "I don't even care anymore. Winning the tournament would be nice, but learning about Cinder's manipulations has drained me." She would much rather focus on capturing Cinder, that seems far more worth her time.

For the briefest moment Blake is worried, but she quickly decides this as actually a good thing. It seems her plan to out Weiss's secret notes is unnecessary.

 **Weiss is able to create a glyph under her to stop sliding back, but doesn't see Neon spinning into the attack and using it to push herself forward so she can charge at Yang in a rainbow burst of speed and push her into the city portion.**

"Looks like they're controlling the flow of battle." Jaune says. "I wonder if my strategies would still work given how… unexpected they are?"

"They should." Pyrrha says. "They might have a vastly different fighting style, but they still learned at Atlas so it's unlikely they lack the weaknesses that come with that."

"Then wouldn't Neon going into the ruins be stupid?" Oscar asks.

"She should be fine as long as nothing interrupts her flow." Pyrrha explains. "But if that's interrupted…"

"Never Miss a Beat!" Nora yells.

Everyone stares blankly at her sudden outburst.

"Err… what?" Yang asks.

"What if rainbow girls flow is like a beat?" Nora declares this as if it's some profound truth. "Then losing her flow would be missing a beat, and that the title of the video." She then leans back on the sofa so confidently you'd think she just solved a murder case.

"She could be right." Ren say's, writing this down in his notes. "That would mean this probably isn't a very important video."

"I'm not sure about that." Blake says. "The video titles rarely have anything to do with the important information. I'd say they actively refuse to give anything away."

 **Flynt stops blowing as Weiss readies her Myrtenaster, a second passing until the musician starts playing again. This time, Weiss uses darker glyphs to move her forward through the cone of waves, making another one to get closer and closer so she can land a blow. Suddenly, however, Flynt stops playing, and Weiss is forced to move forward, earning a kick to the back as she slides past. She crashes through a red Dust crystal, and Flynt grins when he sees her lying in the area now spouting pillars of fire. The music picks up, preparing for a new song.**

"I guess we are getting another song." Sun says. "But I can't imagine it being very important."

"So far the only ones to give us useful information have been Sacrifice and I'm the One." Ren says. "Some of the others have been good, but they haven't done much more than give vague warnings. I expect this one will just be a nice song to accompany the fight."

" _ **We're all born with a dream, we wanna make come true. The best will climb to the top like me, the rest will end up like you."**_ **Back in the ruined city, Neon manages to roll ahead of every blast from Ember Celica, skating on the railings and making faces at an irritated Yang. She continues to flip and slide over any terrain in her way, all the while repeating a mantra to herself. "Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat!"**

"I knew it!" Nora yells. "None of you believed me but I was right."

"We all believed you." Ren says, but his words fall upon deaf ears.

" _ **I bet it's hard to live with, knowing that you'll never be this fine. Don't be distraught don't be sad, you gave it your best try."**_ **Neon eventually comes down to the ground and charges at Yang, becoming a rainbow blur while hitting the blonde multiple times. Yang grits her teeth, unloading the spent shells in her gauntlets, as Neon smirks and cracks her glow sticks, turning them blue. She comes forward again, dashing past Yang before she even realizes that her right leg is now encased in ice.** _"_ _ **Listen, girlfriend...can't you see? I'm all of the things that you'll never be."**_

"I'm really going to enjoy fighting her for real." Yang grins but her suppressed anger comes out through her words.

' _That's not even going to happen.'_ Weiss thinks. _'Before I wasn't sure, but Cinder's meddling means we're almost sure to get someone else after we capture her.'_

"Didn't you say something like that before?" Ruby recalls.

"That was about proving my strength." Yang says. "This time it's personal."

 **Neon giggles. "Hm-hmm! Look!" She smacks her butt for emphasis. "Now you're bottom-heavy, too!"**

"Very, personal." Yang stresses.

 **Getting quite irritated now, Yang slams her foot down and frees her entire leg, but is unable to stop Neon from freezing her left arm now.** _ **"I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun, I'm a neon rainbow and you're no fun."**_ **She sees Neon rollerblading on rails and through archways, gaining distance until she speeds forth and kicks Yang back into a wall, cracking it behind her.**

" **You should cool off! Get it? Because you're angry." Neon taunts.**

Throughout this Yang has to repeatedly tell herself that it's not really happening, and she shouldn't treat it as real.

This doesn't entirely work though, as Yang displaces her anger onto a cup she'd been drinking from. The creaks and groans from the now misshaped cup worry the rest of the group.

 **Not appreciating the pun one bit, Yang smashes her arm against the wall, once again shattering the ice and the structure itself.**

 **The music changes to a jazz remix of 'This Will Be the Day'.**

 **Meanwhile, Weiss and Flynt are facing each other in the burning section, Weiss gesturing all around her with the blade and spinning wildly to summon four glyphs that shoot out an equal number of large ice chunks headed straight for her enemy. Flynt looks down and smiles, leaping forward onto his knees and blowing his horn just as a column of flame erupts right in front of him, diverting the fire to melt each of Weiss' frozen projectiles.**

 **Flynt gets back up as he twirls his trumpet. "Too bad all that money can't buy you skill."**

Weiss now joins Yang in her frustrations, though thankfully not to as great an extent. Flint is comparing her to the very thing that she wants to spare herself from, and the worst part that she hasn't yet proven him wrong. The insult cuts much deeper than is probably intended.

 **Weiss grimaces at him before revolving her hilt to use a white type of Dust. She aims a stream of wind at Flynt, who matches her power with his own blowing, creating a standstill until Weiss uses a mere gesture to form several more glyphs around the field. She quickly dashes between them, firing icicles at Flynt with each one, until he puts his foot down and starts playing once more. Weiss is still propelling herself around, but nothing prepares her for a second Flynt appearing next to the first, and then another, and another after that, each colour-coordinated musician joining their waves of noise together to send Weiss flying back.**

" **Whoa!" In the audience, Jaune amazed at this unusual ability.**

"And now we know his Semblance." Oscar says. "Is it just me, or have we not seen many Semblances from the other teams?"

"Not every team wants to give away their abilities so early in the tournament." Blake explains. "Were actually considered quite unusual given how we decided to go all out from the start."

"I'm probably the only person here that's purposely hiding their Semblance." Pyrrha admits. "Plus there are plenty of good fighters who haven't learned their Semblance yet."

' _You don't have to say that for me.'_ Jaune thinks, though he does appreciate the sentiment.

" **What's this?" Port turns to Oobleck in the announcer's box, both equally shocked.**

" **It appears young Flynt has just activated his Semblance! And quite a remarkable one at that." Oobleck narrates. "Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on Flynt Coal's Killer Quartet!"**

"How does he knows what it's called?" Nora asks.

"Did I forget to tell you about this too?" Jaune says.

Nora pauses, 'innocently' looking around. "Noo..."

"You told us, Nora wasn't paying attention." Ren answers.

Jaune sighs. "We have to hand in our tournament submissions soon, and you can state the preferred name of your Semblance."

 **The Flynt's flip their hats around to the audience, then look up at the scoreboard to see Weiss and Yang down to half their Aura levels, but still in the game. He steps forward, absorbing each of his duplicates as he prepares to finish this.**

"We might actually lose this." Blake says. "Does that seem likely?"

Jaune pauses as he consider it. "If this were a normal show then you'd definitely win. But this is just reality presented as a show, so those rules don't apply."

"Just you wait." Ruby says. "Weiss and Yang will pull through."

"I'm glad you feel so confident in us." Weiss smiles.

"I mean you'd better win. Because if you don't, we can always use my backup training schedule."

The rest of the team shivers at the thought. Ruby had made that schedule more as a proof of concept than anything else. They'd only tried if for a couple of days before they all agreed to use a more toned down version.

 **Neon is still giving trouble to Yang, using a ramp to outrun her now red-eyed opponent. "Ooh! Flashy eyes! Y'know, you're actually kinda pretty when you're angry."**

 **Yang shakes her head, eyes going back down to purple. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" She propels herself forward using her shotgun blasts.**

"Is everyone from Atlas so irritating?" Yang grimaces.

"Hey!" Weiss yells. "I'm not that bad!"

Yang waves her hand in a 'sorta' gesture.

Weiss rolls her eyes and ignores the banter, taking her attention back to the fight.

 **Weiss is getting back up and sees her sword, reaching out to it only for Flynt to step on the blade. She looks up at him before their attention is drawn to their partners.**

" **Get back here!" Yang yells.**

 **Neon skates around Yang in a lazy circle. "I wasn't trying to say that you should go on a diet, I was saying you really need to go on a diet!"**

" **THAT'S IT!" Yang shouts.**

" **You're fat." Neon gives one more quick clarification for good measure.**

"That Bitch!" Yang yells, getting up from the sofa to throw her deformed cup at the screen.

"Yang!" Ruby says.

"I just…" Yang clenches her fists as she semi-reluctantly sits back down. "I can't believe her."

"She's just trying to get on your nerves." Blake says. "Otherwise she wouldn't be saying it during a match."

"I know." Yang admits. Unfortunately, this fact doesn't really help much, as her violent outburst was more instinctual than anything else. Thankfully, letting of steam as she did has at the very least emotionally exhausted her to the extent that she's unlikely to have another outburst.

 **Flynt looks back at Weiss before deciding to focus his attention on Yang, once more becoming four fighters and ready to blow her away. Weiss looks through the clones and sees Yang completely distracted, as well as a pool of lava bubbling away right in front of him/them. Without pause, Weiss jumps up and knocks the original, and other with it, into the magma just as it erupts several feet in the air.**

" **What?" Yang notices what just happened.**

"" **Weiss!"" Ruby and Blake simultaneously yell out in panic.**

"Why would you do that!" Ruby yells at the screen.

"I don't know!" Weiss replies. "It must have helped in some way though."

"It was a brave thing to do." Pyrrha admits. "There was probably a better course of action, but considering the circumstances I don't blame you for doing this."

"I… Well…" Weiss doesn't know how to respond to this. On the one hand she saw herself do something reckless, which as a Huntress in training, irritates her. But on the other hand she saw herself acting as a true team player, and just knowing she would do something like that feels good to know.

" **It appears we have a double knockout on our hands!" Port commentates.**

" **In fact, it looks as though Miss Schnee's Aura has been completely depleted! She sacrificed herself to take out Flynt!" Oobleck says.**

"Probably a good trade when you think about it." Jaune says. "If we're talking about Aura usage at least."

"That's not right." Ruby says.

This startles Jaune. "I'm pretty sure Flint had more aura that Weiss."

"That's not what I mean." Ruby explains. "These fight are meant to prepare us for after graduation. You can't sacrifice a teammate during a mission just because it'll give you an advantage in one fight."

"That's…" This actually surprises Jaune. Everyone else has been viewing the tournament as a competition, and that's probably still true for Ruby, but she first and foremost views it as training for when she becomes a Huntress. Just when he finally thinks he understands Ruby, she shocks him with an almost outrageously selfless viewpoint.

"It's just a match though." Weiss says. "And I really want out team to win, so it hardly matters."

" **Wait a minute." Oobleck notices something. "What's this!?"**

 **Flynt appears out of a smokescreen, wobbly and almost at his limit, but standing back up from the smoke.**

" **Ladies and gentlemen, Flynt Coal remains standing!" Port announces.**

"You were saying." Nora gives a smug grin.

"That's not fair!" Weiss practically screeches. "How can he still fight!?"

"The magma's probably not as hot as it would actually be." Pyrrha explains. "They wouldn't want for someone to get permanently injured."

 **The Displays show aura levels.**

 **Neon Katt: 50**

 **Flynt Coal: 16**

 **Yang Xiao Long: 35**

 **Weiss Schnee: 0**

"That's so close!" Weiss whines. "That can barely be considered surviving. It's more like he just happened to fall on the right side of the cut-off!"

"I doubt you'd be complaining if it happened to you?" Blake says, receiving a haughty 'hmth' in response.

"No need to worry." Yang grin maniacally at the mere though of what she thinks comes next. "My Aura's now low enough that I can finally do some serious damage."

"I don't think how hard you hit matters given how Neon's been outmanoeuvring you the entire match." Sun says.

"Just watch, I have a plan." Yang responds.

' _Let's just hope your other self can think of it.'_ Weiss thinks.

 **Flynt begins walking toward Yang, a look of pure anger on his face.**

 **Neon skates back over to her leader as he marches forward. "You did it, Flynt! Don't worry about her, she's easy! But kind of annoying."**

' _They probably don't know about Yang's Semblance.'_ Oscar thinks. _'Does that mean they failed to do the research, or maybe Yang's Semblance is hard enough to understand that they can figure it out based on the previous match.'_ He recalls the trailers, and based on those fights Yang is the only one who's Semblance isn't clearly shown. Her hair did glow, but that seems to be more of a side effect than anything else.

" **Ooh, looks like Yang's angry!" Port comments, as Yang finally reaches her breaking point, fists clenching and ground trembling. "And you wouldn't like her when she's... upset."**

'You can say that again.' Sun thinks. If he had know she would react so badly to Neptune beating her in a board game, he probably would have waited until later to introduce his friend.

 **Yang's scream of rage perfectly coincides with lava geysers bursting from the rocks. She punches out several shots at the two opponents, who manage to dodge the blasts.**

" **Yo, Neon, go!" Flynt commands. He blows again and helps Neon rush forward, and Yang meets her in the waves of sound, using her shots to keep her from being pushed away as she attempts to get a hit on the girl. Failing that, she leaps out of the noise and blasts the ground where Neon is, then launching herself back to create some space.**

"Hell yeah!" Yang yells. "Let's see how you like your damn skates now!"

"That was your plan?" Oscar asks, startled by the simplicity of it.

"It'll work though." Yang says. "That bitch can't do anything if she can't move properly, and Flint won't be able to take another hit."

 **Yang's blasts almost gets Flynt, who's forced to change the direction of his tune and direct Neon elsewhere, still avoiding the blasts and even rolling on the debris being formed, though with a noticeably more shaky stance than usual. She rolls up on a ramp made from the debris into the geyser biome. Yang lands on the ground away from her and runs right at Flynt, rocketing forward even as he uses his Semblance once more to deliver a fourfold attack.**

' _This is probably the deciding moment.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'If Flint can't outmatch Yang's strength now then he'll certainly loose the last of his Aura. Plus the fact that Neon can't beat Yang's current strength even with Flint's help means this is their last chance.'_

 **Shooting behind her, however, provides Yang the necessary boost to finally get close and clap her hands over the mouth of the trumpet. Less than a second of silence is broken by the musical backfire right in Flynt's face, becoming one person for the final time as he's knocked on his back and the buzzer rings.**

" **Oh, sour note for Flynt!" Oobleck says.**

"One down, one to go!" Yang cheers for her other self.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." Pyrrha says. "Neon's 'beat' has been broken, so she's unlikely to regain balance fast enough." This comment pleases Nora, who gives a quick thumbs up.

"If the champion's saying it, then I gotta agree." Sun says. "Well done."

' _Don't be so hasty.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That's exactly the kind of thinking that lead Flint and Neon to losing the upper hand.'_

 **Yang slides back from the blast, searching for her remaining opponent as Neon tries avoiding the geyser spouts. "Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a..." At that moment, Neon's front wheels catch on a crack in the ground, losing her balance and causing her to shed a few quick tears. "...beat?"**

"Ha!" Nora laughs. "I called it! I said this exact thing would happen."

"I don't think you deserve as much credit as you're giving yourself." Ren says, but his words fall upon deaf ears as Nora loudly cheers herself on, until eventually he forces her to calm down.

 **Time catches up as she pitches forward, trying to roll up in a ball only to get caught in the blast of a geyser. She's helpless to do anything as Yang smirks, fires off a single shot, and hits her screaming target in an explosion of sparks and smoke, as well as a third buzzing sound.**

"You did it sis!" Ruby cheers, giving her sister a quick hug.

"Well done Yang." Blake agrees.

"I just wish I'd been more useful." Weiss grumbles.

"Don't… don't worry." Yang sinks into her chair. While she'll never admit it, she honestly thought she's see her other self lose this match, so hearing the final buzzer really puts her mind at ease. "I couldn't have won without you."

This is enough to comfort Weiss, but she's still mildly irritated by how the match went. She thought she'd abandoned all concerns about who wins the tournament, but it seems even now she's feeling a competitive urge.

 **Yang continues to look enraged until she blinks her eyes back to purple and realizes something. "Weiss!" She runs back into the fire section and kneels next to her ash-covered teammate. "Weiss! Are you okay?"**

 **Weiss gets up and coughs some smoke before weakly responding. "I may not be singing for a while."**

"We have to do better." Weiss declares. "That match was a mess, we barely won, we have to make sure our real matches are about proper fights rather than… this."

"I wouldn't say it was a mess." Pyrrha interjects. "They controlled the flow of battle for the first half, but then you broke it up by sacrificing yourself, so Yang was able to make the most of her situation."

"That doesn't change the fact that we shouldn't have let them get the advantage to begin with." Weiss says, ending the conversation there.

 **Yang looks both worried and relieved until she breaks out into a joking smile. "You know, I'm not sure that was proper form."**

" **Oh, ha ha…" After responding, Weiss suffers another coughing fit.**

'That might actually mess up my voice for a while.' Weiss thinks. Of the many things she's proud of, her voice is one that she can consider wholly her own, so the idea that she may lose it is distressing, but she comforts herself in knowing that no serious injuries have ever been dealt during the Vytal festival, so there will likely be immediate medical care to ensure nothing is permanent. With her representation it could actually be a huge scandal if there wasn't.

" **WHAT!?" Yang and Weiss' attention are drawn to Neon, now devoid of colour, as she freaks out. "We lost? We lost? Team FNKI lost? That was... that was..." Colour returns to the suddenly-overjoyed redhead as her eyes turn into rainbow sparkles for a moment. "... amazing! Oh my gosh, you guys were super crazy awesome! We should definitely party together sometime, right Flynt?"**

Everyone is taken completely off guard by this sudden change in personality, and the first to react is the person with the most reason to be angry.

"Ha!" Yang bursts into laughter. "That's just too good. You all saw that right?" Her overflowing joy acts as an admission that she has feels no hard feelings and the events during the match should be kept separate from there feelings otherwise. Taking her cue, everyone else joins in with the laughter, some merely chuckling, but the sentiment is still there.

 **Flynt gets back to his feet. "That was a gutsy move, Schnee." He pauses. "I dig it."**

Those few words are enough to fill Weiss with a warm feeling of relief. She did something that came naturally, and it lead to someone understanding that she isn't like her father. In her mind, this acts as proof that she can overcome the vile reputation her father has built up and truly change things for the better. Of course she knows it won't be as easy as it seems, but knowing this makes her other selves decision about not relying on her father seem more right.

 **Yang and Weiss smile at the good losers and see the rest of their team coming to the injured heiress' side.**

" **Good job, you two!" Blake says.**

" **Yeah!" Ruby agrees.**

 **The team stays like that, cradling Weiss in their arms and soaking in the cheers of the crowd.**

"This has been a sorta uneventful video." Sun comments. "Sure the fight was nice and we got some more Penny moments, but it's been pretty useless all things considered."

"We can't expect every video to tell us something useful." Ren says. "Remember, the second video of the Volume was almost entirely fighting."

 **Later on that evening in a certain Beacon dorm room, Cinder Fall is sitting on her bed looking through files on her Scroll. Emerald is lying on the floor also playing with her own device, and Mercury is doing push-ups beside her.**

"Hold that thought!" Nora yells. "We've got more Cinder!"

Blake sighs. "I hate to admit that I actually look forwards to seeing her in these videos."

"I feel more like I dread it." Jaune says. "Sure, we need to know what they're doing, but every time we learn that things are worse than we thought before."

"That's probably closer to how I feel." Blake admits. "More than anything I'm looking forwards to being able to thwart their plans."

Yang laughs at this. "They'll never know what hit them. It's not as if they'll expect us to have some weird future vision and completely derail their plans."

 **Cinder's eyes widen in surprise as she notices something on her scroll. "Oh." Whatever it is must be good news for her as she immediately smiles.**

" **What?" Emerald asks, as she and Mercury look to their leader.**

Ruby suddenly feels nauseous. Since early watching this video she's felt a rising nervousness around something and she's desperately been trying to ignore it. But some small part of her knows that this will be where it comes crashing down, and every part of her dreads the idea.

" **Oh nothing." Cinder replies, as she looks at a document titled. 'P.E.N.N.Y.' with a diagram of the girl. "We're just going to be making a slight, hmm... alternation in the plan."**

Ruby almost immediately grabs Yang's had and squeezes with all her strength. It may not be comfortable for her sister, but right now she needs the familial comfort, and the utter feeling of powerlessness makes her completely loose her voice.

"It's okay." Yang does her best to reassure her sister. "Penny's fine, we're going to change things, we won't let anything bad happen to her."

Ruby give a meek nod, but her body stays tense and for the first time in a long while she looks on with glimmer of hate in her eyes.

 **Emerald and Mercury share a somewhat concerned look, so the latter asks: "What does that mean?"**

" **It means that this will be even easier than we thought." Cinder continues to look at the familiar image of the robotic redhead.**

"We seriously need to talk about what this means." Ren says, talking slowly as a sign of respect. "It's clear that Cinder wants to use Penny for her plan, but how does she plan on doing it?"

"Can she somehow take control of Penny?" Oscar asks. "Possibly use her as a spy, or something like that?"

"That's not how Penny works." Ruby explains, calmed down slightly and fully committed to solving this. "From what I've heard from her, Penny's more like a person with cybernetics, but those account for every part of her except the soul."

"That doesn't mean they won't be able to see through Penny's eyes." Ren says.

Ruby shakes her head. "I once asked if someone could use that to figure out that we were spending time together. Penny explained that it was somehow important that she be as similar to a born human as possible, so her eyes only give her information."

' _That's an odd design detail.'_ Weiss thinks. _'From a logical standpoint that means that they purposely included human imperfections. But I don't see why they would value that over practicality.'_

"I have a possibility." Blake says. "And it makes a lot of sense when put into perspective."

"Well… go ahead." Jaune prompts.

Blake sighs. "We talked before about how they might reveal the 'dark underside' of Ozpin's organisation. So what if they also revealed that Penny's a robot, but put gave their own darker perspective on why."

Eyes widen as people figure out what that means. However, the other Faunus is not one of those people. "What do you mean 'darker perspective.'"

"Atlas created a weapon that hides itself as a little girl." Blake explains. "Imagine the kind of distrust that would bring. Relations between the kingdoms would take years to recover."

"She's right." Oscar agrees. "As a bystander, if I was told that without any other context, I'd be pretty terrified that Atlas had been planning an invasion."

"But that's just stupid!" Yang declares. "Don't they know how many Grimm attacks they'd be causing. The entire world would suffer if they did that."

"They already showed a disregard for other people when they caused The Breach." Blake says. "I'm guessing from their perspective, any price is big enough as long as they aren't the ones paying it." _'And Adam's working for them willingly. I knew he had turned bad, but to think he would agree to something so… globally detrimental.'_

"We shouldn't forget that this is all conjecture." Ren says. "They could have some different plans prepared, so we can't be taken unawares."

 **Within the headmaster's office at twilight, Professor Ozpin is facing the window, his back to the elevators when the doors open and Qrow steps inside, approaching his desk with mug in hand.**

"Well what do ya' know." Nora says. "It's our second best source of information."

"I'd argue that it's first, but yeah. These are definitely the top two." Sun says.

" **You know, he's making you look like a fool." Qrow says.**

" **His heart is in the right place. He's just... misguided." Ozpin replies.**

"Ironwood?" Oscar guesses.

"Definitely." Pyrrha agrees. "It fits far to well to be anyone else."

" **Sometimes, I'm not even sure he has a heart." Qrow takes a drink from his cup. "So, have you chosen your guardian yet?"**

"More talk about a guardian." Weiss says. "But I'm getting the feeling that the role is more than just what they do. And for that matter, what is a guardian in charge of protecting?"

"It could be what Cinder's after!" Yang almost snaps her finds as the dots join together.

"That could work." Weiss agrees. "But it doesn't answer the question of what is it?"

"There's no point in speculating at this point." Ren says. "We don't have enough information."

" **Maidens choose themselves." Ozpin swirls his chair around to face Qrow. "I simply believe I've found the right candidate."**

"So a guardian is also a maiden." Weiss says. "Whatever that means."

"It means they have to be female." Sun says. "Or at least, I assume."

"But why have a job only girls can do?" Jaune wonders. "What kind of situation would require that?"

"I can think of a few…" Yang trails off.

"Please don't say what I think you're about to say." Blake groans.

"I was just joking." Yang replies. "But yeah… total mystery."

" **Ever since the day I met her, I had the feeling she would be the one." Ozpin says. "She's strong, intelligent, caring..." The elevator at the bottom of the CCT tower is shown.**

"Sounds like he might actually be talking about you Ruby." Pyrrha says.

"You're just saying that." Ruby gushes.

"But it could very well be right." Weiss agrees. "Ozpin has taken a weird interest in you. The first chapter made that abundantly clear."

"… **but most importantly, she's ready." Pyrrha Nikos enters the elevator, a smile on her face as she seemingly doesn't know the real purpose she was called for.**

"Pyrrha!" Yang yells, with everyone else giving their own shocked reaction.

"Well that was unexpected." Oscar says. "I mean not because of the descriptions, but… err…"

"I was expecting Ruby as well." Pyrrha admits. "This is a surprise to me too."

"It does make sense though." Jaune says. "If Ozpins recruiting any of us to join him, you're the obvious choice." Normally this would have annoyed Jaune, but the fact that Ozpin made it clear that Pyrrha will have a choice in the matter puts him at ease.

"Either way we should expect plenty of information next video." Ren says. "Quite possibly the context that makes everything else make sense."

"So… I guess we want to start the next one immediately?" Oscar asks.

"Yes! Start it now." Weiss is almost desperate to start the next video. If Pyrrha's getting invited to Ozpin's group, that means they'll finally get a proper explanation as to what they do. This information has been taunting her and the other for over a week now. If they can finally get some answers then it means they can properly asses if Ozpin can be trusted rather that just relying on their gut instincts.

And with that, Oscar practically rushes to start the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Begins with Penny and teammate fighting CRDL

Penny wins

Ruby meets with Penny to give congratulations

Penny's teammate: Ciel Soleil

Ciel appointed to watch over Penny?

Penny requests one minute to spend with Ruby, Ciel takes literally, very strict on rules

Ciel doesn't know about Penny being a robot, probably only those who need to know

Penny wants to stay at Beacon, Ironwood and others would never let her, has a plan

Penny's plan could go wrong, Cinder could use it somehow to further her goals

Penny leaves, next match starts, Weiss and Yang vs… Atlas team

Atlas team appears very undisciplined, Flint Coal and Neon Katt

Flint's father ran a small Dust shop but SDC ran out of business, holds resentment against Weiss

Neon actively trying to annoy Yang

Fight starts

Yang fights Neon, Weiss fights Flint

Atlas team has advantage

New song, unimportant

Atlas team taunting RWBY

Flint's Semblance: Killer Quartet, creates coloured versions of himself that amplify his trumpet attack

Weiss taken a beating, sacrifices herself to take down Flint

Flint barely survives

Yang at full power beats Flint and Neon.

Neon and Flint now have good opinion of RWBY members

Cinder scene, on her scroll

Cinder has designs of P.E.N.N.Y, knowing somehow makes her plans easier

Present Penny can't be controlled, so more likely plan on using her to reveal dark underside of Academies

Ozpin and Qrow scene

"Have you chosen your guardian yet?"

Maidens are Guardians, what does that mean?

Ozpin has candidate for Maiden

Candidate is Pyrrha


	41. V3: C6: Fall

As the Opening plays the entire group is tense with anticipation. Last video ended with Pyrrha about to enter Ozpin's office, so the assumption is that he's going to explain the existence of his organisation in the hopes that she joins.

"Are we sure we'll actually get to see Ozpin's explanation?" Weiss asks. "I don't want to get my hopes up over this."

"We'll see it." Jaune says. "I mean… probably."

"You don't sound so sure." Ruby says.

"I'm not." Jaune admits. "If it were you getting the explanation then I'd be certain since you're apparently the main character. But with Pyrrha… we'll still probably see it."

Ruby nods her head slowly as the opening ends. This could easily be a defining moment for her. For all of them. If they don't get the answers they hope for, she's sure at least a few people will rage out in frustration. But the real problem is if the answers are enough to cause the same reaction.

 **Volume 3: Chapter 6: Fall**

"Cinder." Blake's voice is riddled with spite.

"This is going to be a freaking Cinder video!?" Yang yells. "I'm… not mad actually. Learning about Cinder is always useful."

"But they shouldn't have teased us with how the last video ended." Weiss grates her teeth. "I was really looking forward to this."

"We can't be sure that it's all about Cinder." Ren says, taking the situation much more calmly than anyone else in the room. "With any luck Ozpin will be unknowingly talking about Cinder and that's why her name's in the title." This goes a long way in calming everyone down.

' _I feel like something might be off about our line of thinking.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Fall could mean plenty of other things.'_ He doesn't speak up though.

 **The scene opens on the office of Professor Ozpin, who is seated behind his desk across from Pyrrha, as the last rays of twilight come through the clock-decorated windows.**

The entire room breathe a sigh of relief, then tenses up again remembering how important this conversation promises to be.

 **Ozpin chuckles as he gestures to Pyrrha, his cane resting at his side. "Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance was exemplary."**

"This can't just be some idle chatter. Can it?" Oscar asks. More so than anyone else in the room, he's nervous about what he might learn. Unlike everyone else who can and will act on their new knowledge, he believes that he'll probably have to live the rest of his mundane life with the weight of knowing things greater than he can handle.

"He's trying to ease her into whatever he really wants to talk about." Blake says. "It's a way of lessening the impact." The technique doesn't bring up happy memories for her, remembering how Adam always eased her into talking about their next mission. Later on he got more blunt in the explanations, but by then she found it hard to back down.

Pyrrha gets slightly uncomfortable about how everyone's addressing her, but realises that there's no better way of saying it.

" **Thank you, Professor Ozpin." Pyrrha humbly replies. "But I would have never made it this far without my teammates."**

"Aw… thanks." Nora gives a cheerful smile, perhaps trying to lighten the mood.

"We appreciate everything you've done to help us." Jaune says. "We wouldn't be the same without you." He grabs Pyrrha's hand in preparation so that he can comfort her.

" **Personally, I think it's the other way around." Qrow makes his presence known from his spot leaning against a column in the back of the room, arms crossed.**

Ruby and Yang both wince at the thoughtless remark.

"Has anyone ever mentioned that your Uncle can sound like an asshole?" Sun asks.

"Our dad's said it more than a few times." Yang admits. "Just… don't take it personally. He's not much of a people person."

' _He does have that lone wolf feel about him.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Maybe that's why he doesn't seem to work with a team.'_

 **Pyrrha turns around and gets up from her chair, trying to be formal. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced."**

" **Name's Qrow." Qrow responds bluntly.**

" **Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine." Ozpin explains.**

"This is good to know." Ren writes in his notes.

"But we already knew it." Weiss points out.

"But we now know that Ozpin's willing to share it with Pyrrha." Ren replies. "That shows a level of trust that we should be grateful for."

 **Pyrrha looks at Qrow for another moment before addressing the headmaster again. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?"**

' _Here it is.'_ Weiss goes into full focus. _'The answer we've all been waiting for.'_

" **Please, take a seat." Ozpin offers pleasantly. When she does so, he puts his fingers up to his lips, leaning back casually. "What is your favourite fairy tale?"**

" **I'm... sorry?" Pyrrha is obviously confused by what seems to be a complete shift in the conversation.**

"What?" Nora, along with everyone else, is put completely off balance by this sudden change in conversation.

"Is he still trying to ease me into the real conversation?" Pyrrha wonders.

"That can't be it." Jaune shakes his head. "This is… somehow relevant? But I can't imagine how or why it would matter."

"Some kind of personality test?" Yang proposes.

"That doesn't seem to fit." Jaune says. "Besides, there are much better ways to get to know someone."

" **Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them." Ozpin says, speaking like he's just making casual conversation.**

"Why the interest in fairy tales?" Blake quietly mutters. "Maybe he wants to use one as an analogy?"

"How would that work?" Ruby asks.

"He could liken the situation to a certain fairy tale." Blake explains. "But the only reason he would want to do that is to lessen the impact of what will likely be a horrifying truth."

Oscar becomes extremely uncomfortable at this. So much so that he considers just leaving the room. But then he remembers that they can't watch without him, so whatever's about to happen, he'll just have to live the rest of his life knowing.

"Oscar, are you okay?" Ruby notices his anxiety and speaks up.

"I just…" Oscar quickly resolves himself to speaking honestly. "What if I learn something I'd be happier not knowing?"

"We all feel the same way." Ruby says. "But we have to be prepared for…"

"But I don't!" Oscar speaks louder than he intended. "I don't have any part in this, so I doubt I'll be able to make a difference. But I'll still be forced with knowing these things, and I'm getting stressed just thinking about it."

Everyone else in the room just looks at each other nervously. In their haste to learn more they forgot there might be someone who doesn't want the knowledge.

Ruby however looks Oscar dead in the eyes an gives a comforting smile. "We'll handle it. If you really don't want any part in all this then know that we'll handle it."

Under normal circumstances Oscar would have just considered this hollow reassurance, but remembering everything he knows about Ruby, both in the videos and personally, he feels like he can really trust those words to be true. But instead of knowing that he can fall back to his regular life, he feels motivated. Before he was on the fence about trying to become a Huntsman, but now he feels as if he at least has to give it his all. Because these are good people he's found himself surrounded by, and he wants to help them in any way he can. "Thank you."

' _I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing Ruby like this.'_ Yang smiles. _'I'm really lucky to have such an amazing little sister.'_

 **Pyrrha is put off guard by the question, but answers with nostalgia. "Well, there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower..."**

" **What about The Story of the Seasons?" Ozpin leans forward, as if the answer is somehow important.**

"So that's the story he was aiming for." Blake considers. "But how will his analogy fit. It's one of the more outlandish stories, and there's not even an antagonist to liken Cinder to."

"It's still a good story though." Pyrrha feels the need to defend it. "My mother told it to me all the time."

"True, but it doesn't have much use for analogies." Blake says. "It's a story about how good deeds are rewarded and how to live a fulfilling life, neither of which seem relevant to dealing with Cinder's group."

"I just want to be sure, but we all know how it goes… Right?" Ruby asks.

" **Oh, of course!" Pyrrha looks away in remembrance, narrating the story as the art style changes to show the coloured silhouettes of four young women coming across a house on a hill with a single figure in the doorway. "A callous old man, who refuses to leave his home, is visited by four traveling sisters."**

"Looks like we'll be getting a refresher anyway." Sun says. "I was actually sorta worried the Vacuo version might be different somehow."

"But this doesn't make sense." Weiss comments. "Why is this story getting the art treatment? It can't really be that important."

"Remember how Qrow's story had Flashback art." Yang reminds her. "I wouldn't consider that particularly important."

"That was just for a gag." Jaune says. "Weiss is right, this is very unusual."

"Who's to say the stories not important." Nora chimes in. "I'm just saying."

' _But if it's not an analogy then what?'_ Blake wonders. _'I can't imagine any reason Ozpin would have a particular interest in this fairy tale. Am I missing something?'_

" **The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate." The white sister sits under a tree.**

"So we're just hearing the short version." Ruby says.

"I wouldn't bother telling any of the longer versions." Pyrrha says. "Even the short version takes longer than is usual for a conversation."

" **The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden." The green sister holds a basket of fruits.**

" **The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him." The orange sister gives a friendly wave, prompting the old man to leave the confines of his house.**

"The way this is shown seems strait from a story book." Yang notices.

"That's probably part of the aesthetic." Weiss says. "I'm sure plenty of people would love to see their favourite stories recreated like this."

" **And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has, and be thankful." The purple sister spreads her arms, gesturing to everything the man has available to him.**

' _Why isn't Ozpin interrupting her?'_ Blake wonders. _'I understand that he's polite, but this is a classic story everyone knows. It's unusual to let her go on this long.'_

" **In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world." A golden light emanates from the old man until it surrounds the four girls, who go on their way with the glow still around them. "They graciously accept, and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of days."**

"Could this be to do with why teams are usually made of four people?" Jaune suggests. "That could be the reason Ozpin seems so interested in it."

"I'm fairly sure it has more to do with the number of kingdoms." Weiss says. "Plus, even if you're right, it would still have no relevance to current events."

"Then something about the values they each teach, I don't know." Jaune scrapes for any possible explanation.

"Patience, good will, connections, and appreciation." Blake lists of her own interpretation. "Perhaps they are the aspects Ozpin judges his co-workers by?"

"I'm not sure Qrow fits well into any of those." Yang says.

"But they do fit Pyrrha." Jaune says, squeezing the girls hand as she gives a light blush at the compliment.

 **The story and art style end, bringing returning to the office as Pyrrha lists the four sisters off. "Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens. My mother loves that story."**

"Fall! That's where the word Fall comes in!" Nora yells.

"So it's just a coincidence that Cinder has that name." Sun questions, rather sceptical.

"It's probably not that rare." Weiss says. "After all, my sister's called Winter."

"And me and Yang's mom is called Summer." Ruby mentions.

As the others talk, Ren focuses on the one aspect of the story that seems to have relevance. _'The four maiden's. Didn't Ozpin mention maidens beforehand. He said Pyrrha might become one if she chooses. But how can that relate to the fairy tale, the maidens aren't real, unless it could be some special Semblance. But even if something that crazy existed, how would Pyrrha be able to become one?'_ No matter what angle he looks at it, nothing seems to make sense.

" **Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin jokes.**

 **Pyrrha laughs. "You're not that old, Professor."**

"How old even is the story of the seasons?" Ruby wonders.

"No one really knows." Pyrrha says. "It's one of those stories so old that there are no records on how it originated. Some people think it may have been around since before the four Kingdoms were all formed."

"You seem to know an awful lot about it." Yang says.

Pyrrha shrugs. "It's one of my mother's favourites, so I decided to do a little bit of research."

 **Ozpin's expression suddenly turns from playful to deadly serious. "Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?"**

There's a moment of quiet between the group. Some are in shock, some are wrapping their heads around what this means, but most are just looking at the other, silently begging for an explanation.

"WHAT!?" Nora is the first to break the silence. "HOW!?"

"This has to be a joke." Weiss quickly dismisses the alternative. "Or at least, some kind of miscommunication. Perhaps the story was real but got exaggerated over the years?"

"That doesn't sound like something Ozpin would do." Ruby says. "If he says the Maidens are real then… it must be true." She struggles to say those last few words, she's not entirely sure she even believes them.

"Do you hear what you just said!?" Weiss yells. "That's completely ridiculous! We're talking about… about…"

"Magic." Yang finishes the sentence, still half in a daze from what they'd all heard. "Or at least, that what it sounds like he's talking about."

"It's impossible." Weiss firmly states. "There has to be some other explanation, because… because…" She can't even put together a proper reasoning. The fact that magic doesn't exist is just so basic that it's never really needed explaining to her.

 **Pyrrha is silent for a moment, then gives an uneasy chuckle. "I beg your pardon?"**

" **What if I were to tell you that there were four maidens existing in this world, that could wield such tremendous power, without Dust?" Ozpin explains.**

"Eh?" Weiss stutters at this. Is Ozpin some kind of crazy person, or could this actually be some kind of cult where they use the promise of magic to draw people in. At this point she knows she should at least consider the alternative, but the idea of it being real is just so unusual to her that she's desperate for any alternative.

"This is just… Wow!" Jaune says. "I knew it was going to be something weird, but this is beyond anything I could have expected."

Meanwhile Oscar is just letting it all sink in. _'There's no going back for me now. If I were sent home right this moment then I'd still have to live with knowing this. I… don't think I'll be able to spend the rest of my life working at a farm now. I doubt I could manage knowing just part of whatever this all is.'_

 **Pyrrha tries to make sense of this development. "You mean... like a Semblance?"**

 **Ozpin gives a small smile as he delivers his secret. "Like magic."**

"He's crazy." Weiss states. "He's absolutely crazy. Does he actually believe what he's saying?"

"Don't say that." Ruby says. "I think it's actually true."

"Don't tell me you're actually buying into this?" Weiss says.

"Weiss please, calm down." Pyrrha says. "We have to at least give him a chance to explain."

Weiss takes a moment to evaluate her outburst, then groans. "Fine, but until we can be sure this is all real, I hold the right to be sceptical."

"Says the girl watching visions of the future on a tv screen." Yang remarks.

"Erm…" Oscar speaks up, hoping the arguments has died down. "I was just wondering, what makes a Semblance different from magic?"

"A Semblance is the manifestation of your soul brought forth." Pyrrha explains. "We have fully identified the cause and it's common enough for us all to believe it without a second thought. Magic on the other hand…"

"Magic is was we call anything that should be impossible." Weiss interrupts. "Anything that doesn't make sense and can't be verified we call magic because we all agree it doesn't really exist."

"Or at least, that's the common perspective." Blake amends.

 **Pyrrha looks down. "I..."**

" **Yeah. First time hearing this, it's pretty crazy." Qrow interrupts.**

"It's really true." Ruby squeak's. Despite what she said to her partner, she was still having doubts about the whole thing.

Weiss eye twitches. Can Qrow really be considered trustworthy. She wants to deny the credibility of anything he says, not wanting to admit that another person saying it makes the reality of magic seem much more plausible.

 **Pyrrha turns her gaze from Qrow back to Ozpin again, amazed. "You're serious?"**

 **Ozpin is completely straight-faced. "Do I look like I'm joking?"**

Blake stares closely at Ozpin's expression. She always knew he was hiding something, and these videos had already proven her right. But this more than she was expecting. Sun's earlier comparison of Ozpins group to a conspiracy is becoming more and more appropriate. She can only hope there is a justifiable reason as to why he keeps so many secrets. Hiding a truth as big as this needs justification. The worst case scenario of Ozpins group being malicious comes to mind, but that would be ridiculous. Although… she always thought the White Fang was a force for good, and it's all too apparent how that turned out.

" **...No." Pyrrha struggles for the right words. "Why... why are you telling me this?"**

"Oh god that's right!" Nora yells. "Why are they telling you? I'm not complaining but…"

"Last video they mentioned guardians." Ren says. "But then Ozpin started talking about maidens as if they're the same thing, and that Pyrrha might choose to become one."

"But... how would I…" Pyrrha puts on her thinking face. "The Maidens is such an old story, how could they still exist. And for that matter, how would I become one?"

"It'd be pretty weird to add a new season all of a sudden." Sun says. "It'd sorta break that whole, rule of four thing we got going."

 **Ozpin glances at Qrow, who nods his approval, before looking into Pyrrha's eyes. "We are telling you this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers."**

"Next in line." Ren contemplates these words. "So it's like an inheritance, passed down from one person to another."

' _Everyone's talking as if it's all real._ ' Weiss shudders. She hates to admit it, but even she's starting to accept it might be true. What if there is a real logical explanation that's hidden or just not understood? Oscar was confused by the difference between Semblances and magic, so could she be equally mislead by her lack of knowledge?

 **Pyrrha's eyes widen at this, until she realizes. "We?"**

 **At that moment, the elevator doors open, and she sees Professor Goodwitch and General Ironwood step out.**

"I was wondering why they weren't there yet." Yang mentions. "I was actually sorta worried they keep secrets within the group."

"I can't imagine Ozpin being able to keep secrets from Goodwitch given how close they work together." Jaune says. "And Ironwood doesn't seem like the type to allow himself to remain uninformed."

" **Sorry we're late." Ironwood straightens his tie while Goodwitch fixes her glasses.**

" **Wait, what is this?" Pyrrha narrows her eyes at Ozpin. "Who are you?"**

 **Goodwitch comes forward with Ironwood and Qrow, spreading her hands and trying to sound reassuring. "You know who we are. We're still the same teachers and Headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon."**

Blake shivers at this. She knows Goodwitch didn't mean it, but the way she was talking made her seem almost sinister, and given the situation, that's something she really shouldn't be doing.

"' **Cept we've got a little part-time job." Qrow adds.**

" **We are the protectors of the world." Ironwood explains.**

" **And we need your help." Ozpin finishes.**

 **Pyrrha is shocked into silence as everyone in the room looks to her.**

These few words weigh heavily on Pyrrha. Her entire life she's fantasied about being in a situation like this. To be needed for some heroic purpose. But now that she sees it actually happening, all she feels is dread. They're claiming that the world is in danger, and that's bad. No matter how much she wants to protect the world, she would never ask for something to protect it from.

' _Why is this happening?'_ Jaune wonders nervously. Pyrrha's the most amazing person he's ever met, but she's still an academy student. If they're serious about the world being in danger then how is Pyrrha the only one who can save it? Why are they forcing this responsibility on her?

' _The protectors of the world.'_ Ren thinks. Of course, they'd already deduced as much, but Ozpins making the situation sound so dire. All the things they'd heard about the malicious nature of Cinder's plans make it sound like they want to cause havoc for havocs sake. One would almost think she was Grimm in human form.

 **Cut to Pyrrha, looking nervous, in the elevator with the group of 'protectors'. She looks at Ozpin and Goodwitch as if seeing them for the first time while a steady beeping signals each floor passed.**

"Why would they leave the room?" Sun asks. "If this is a secret meeting then why don't they stay in the office."

"They probably want to show Pyrrha something." Weiss says. "Hopefully now we'll get actual proof that magic exists."

" **Where are we going?" Pyrrha asks.**

" **The vault. Under the school." Ozpin explains.**

"Under the school!?" Nora yells. "Is this their secret hideout? Their lair? Where they keep all their secrets from the rest of the world?"

Blake speaks up. "Ignoring what Nora said, we should be careful about making sure not to talk about this place once we leave. Whatever's under the school, it's probably something that has to be kept out of Cinder's hands."

Everyone agrees.

 **The elevator continues downward through the vertical tunnel of dark green lights until it opens its doors and their passengers step out, with Pyrrha being the last to leave as she absorbs the sight of the large, sparsely-lit hallway she is now being lead through. Goodwitch waits up for her behind the others.**

"This place is huge!" Jaune exclaims. "To think that something like this was hidden beneath us the entire time."

"I'm sorta done being surprised by this point." Yang says. "With the amount of things we've learnt, I'll probably accept anything they might say."

"That's a dangerous way of thinking." Blake warns.

"I know, I know." Yang says. "But… you get what I mean."

" **I'm sure you must have questions." Goodwitch says.**

 **Pyrrha is still taking it all in. "Maybe one, or two..."**

"Please asks them?" Weiss begs the screen. "You can't tease us like this then not give any explanations."

"I thought you didn't believe in any of this?" Ruby asks, with a smug grin.

"That's irrelevant." Weiss declares, without even considering it that's true. "We need to know about the nature of Maidens to understand the rest of what's going on."

"Looks like someones starting to accept it." Yang says.

Weiss grimaces. _'This isn't fair. I was the only one willing to voice their disbelief and now everyone thinks I'm some sort of sceptic. I'm willing to relent on something once the evidence is enough.'_ She ignores the fact that she hasn't yet admitted her acceptance.

 **They continue on as Pyrrha asks. "I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?"**

" **The Maidens have existed for thousands of years." Goodwitch explains. "But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to the power forever."**

"Meaning that the current Fall Maiden is nearing the end of her life." Ren says. "If I were to guess, I'd say It's the Autumn they're talking about in a previous video."

"So Cinder hurt Autumn in some way and now they need someone reliable to inherit the power?" Blake speculates. "But did they decide Pyrrha was the best choice, or did the power decide and now they need her permission?"

"Likely the former." Yang says. "Remember, Ozpin said she was a candidate."

Pyrrha actually relaxes after hearing all this. If they're right, then she'll still be helping to protect the world, but it's not uncharted territory. She'll just be the latest in a long line of people who guard the Maidens power. Perhaps that's why Qrow referred to the role as a guardian.

" **So, how does the power choose?" Pyrrha asks.**

" **Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules." Qrow answers over his shoulder.**

" **Qrow." Goodwitch disapproves.**

" **Hey, don't get mad 'cause I'm right." Qrow responds.**

"They can't even control who the power goes to?" Sun asks, alarmed. "Then how do they even protect it? What if it goes to someone bad?"

"He said the rules are convoluted, that doesn't mean they can't control it at all." Ren says. "Though from the sound of it, it's certainly not as reliable as just choosing who inherits the power."

'What's going to happen.' Pyrrha wonders nervously, gripping Jaune's hand. _'Could it be dangerous?'_

Jaune notices Pyrrha's tightened grip and decides to budge himself closer to her. Now more than ever, he needs to be there for her.

 **Goodwitch goes back to explaining to Pyrrha. "At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women. But as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more... intimate."**

" **...Intimate?" Pyrrha questions, concern and a hint of worry layering her voice.**

"How can the selection be intimate?" Weiss wonder. "The powers should at least follow some kind of understandable rules. Then again, it sounds like not even they're fully sure about how the selection works. They must have come to these conclusion through an incredibly long series of trial and error."

"I'm more interested in what they mean by 'young women'." Blake says. "Women is obvious, but how young do they have to be? Is there a minimum age requirement that prevents toddlers from getting the power?"

"Maybe even they don't know." Weiss suggests. "When dealing with something like this, you'd try to avoid letting toddlers get the power so they probably never even tried it."

"And here you were denying everything just a few moments ago." Ruby grins. "So you admit magic is real?"

"Of course I do." Weiss snaps back. "We may not have heard real proof yet, but the depth they're taking this, we have to at least act on this assumption. Never let it be said that I can't admit when I'm wrong."

"Then say it." Yang demands. "Say it, word for word."

"I beg your pardon?" Weiss remarks.

"Admit that you were wrong." Yang says.

Weiss grimaces, noticing everyone's gaze on her. Why are they doing this now of all times, don't they realise how serious…

' _Of course.'_ Weiss thinks. _'That's exactly why Yang's doing this now. Everyone's tense and need some way to lighten the mood. Making me admit defeat is probably such a big deal to them that it'll let them forget about the weight of the video for a moment. Well played Yang, well played.'_ "I admit I was wrong."

The rest of RWBY cheers at this admission of defeat, along with many of the others, and even Pyrrha lessens her grip on Jaunes hand as she chuckles. It was a moment of relief for everyone, letting them all let go of their rising tension before going back into the thick of things. Weiss was silently counting it as a victory because of this.

 **Goodwitch explains. "As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power."**

"That doesn't sound too bad." Sun says. "If they get to choose the next person then it'd be sorta hard for it to fall into the wrong hands."

"I think you misunderstand how volatile the human mind is." Blake says. "It's very hard to purposely focus on a single thing for an extended amount of time, especially if you're in the last few moments of your life."

"This also explains why they're so unsure about how it works." Weiss says. "You can't find out the exact thought prosses they had because by that point the old maiden is already dead. I honestly can't blame Qrow for saying it's a stupid system."

Ren thinks through the implication on what this means. _'So they have some control over who it goes to, but that's unreliable. This also comes with many downsides, for instance, if someone wanted to steal the power…'_ He decides to bring it up later if it's never mentioned.

" **Unless it's a dude or some old hag." Qrow chimes in. "Then the power goes to someone random, and our job gets a lot harder."**

"So it's not the last eligible person they were thinking of." Yang says. "Now that just makes things difficult."

"But we at least know what they want to do now." Jaune says. "Autumn is injured and likely on the verge of death, so they want her final thoughts to be of Pyrrha. Right now they're just trying to get permission to do this." That must be what they're trying to do, right? The idea greatly calms Jaunes worries. The situation isn't especially dangerous, and Pyrrha has a choice in the matter. The thought that people might try to target her does worry him, but she'll have literal magic powers on top of all her other abilities. Any attempt would almost certainly fail.

"But why Pyrrha?" Nora wonders. "Not that I'm complaining, but there must be some experienced Huntresses they could choose instead."

"Actually, Pyrrha's probably the best choice when everything's considered." Ren says. "They probably want to keep the Maidens as separate as possible, so they recruit a specific one from each academy. Then they'll also want them to be quite young so that they don't have to pass on the power any time soon, each transfer has a risk of going to someone random after all."

"Plus we don't know what the age limit is." Weiss points out. "What if someone like, say… Glynda is too old to be a Maiden? Regardless, Pyrrha is very skilled, so she'll make an ideal Maiden."

Pyrrha smiles at all the praise she's getting. She's spent most of her life training to become the best Huntress she can, and now she's seeing proof that it was all worth something. Out of hundreds of students she was chosen for this role. Even if it's not in the spotlight, she's still got a path she can take.

Pyrrha doesn't realise it, but she's already viewing herself in the situation she sees her other in. And in that specific situation, her choice is all too clear.

" **Why tell me all of this now?" Pyrrha asks. "Why not wait until I've graduated?"**

" **Honestly, we've run out of time." Qrow says. "I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high. Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent. And it's not going to be long before the peace we've been enjoying for so long goes out the window."**

There it is again. That rising sense of fear. They all thought they were beyond that point, finally knowing what needs to be done. But Qrow's words make it seems like things are especially bad now, even dismissing Autumns assumed injury.

"Are Grimm really getting stronger?" Oscar asks meekly. He'd always been told that the exact opposite was true, or at the very least, the advancements in technology were slowly making the world a safer place.

Ruby notices Oscars worry, but she can't bring herself to lie to him. "It's true. We're not sure why, or if there even is a reason, but stronger types of Grimm have been appearing recently." While this isn't common knowledge, even among Beacon students, it doesn't take much research to come to this conclusion. Those who know prefer not to talk about it as they understand that doing so would just make things worse.

"Of course the quality of Huntsmen and Huntresses has also been increasing." Weiss says. "And that's not even taking into account the effect Atlas has had on the world. You saw the new Atlesian knights after all."

This does ease Oscars fears a bit, but he's not dumb enough to not understand what it means. Rural areas like the one he lives in don't have the benefits of kingdoms or large settlements. There won't always be a Huntsman to save the day, and getting support from Atlas is just a pipedream.

" **You're not... talking about a war?" Pyrrha asks.**

" **Not a war between nations." Ironwood clarifies.**

"There's no way a real war could happen… right?" Yang asks nervously.

"It's impossible." Weiss firmly asserts. "If Ironwood doesn't want a war to happen then there's nothing that could happen to cause one. Atlas holds enough power that no other kingdom would even try."

"But he said it wouldn't be between nations." Sun says. "But how would that even happen?"

"The Faunus rights revolution was a war." Blake reminds him. "All a war really needs it a group with enough power to disrupt the peace."

"And that brings us back to the size of Cinder's supposed forces." Jaune says. "Qrow mentioned something that makes Atlas forces seem small, but I find it hard to believe that's not an exaggeration."

"With everything we've learned so far, we can't discount anything." Ren says. "Our preconceived notions are clearly too restrictive to understand the nature of this war." _'But how can we tell what ideas are too ridiculous?'_

" **We can fill you on the details once we know that you're with us." Qrow says. "For now, all you need to know is that one of the Maidens was attacked. And for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen."**

"What!" Yang yells. "Stolen?"

"How would that even work?" Ruby asks. "I could understand it all of it was stolen, but part?"

"Considering how we barely know how the powers work, we can't exactly come to any conclusion." Blake says. But this still worries her. Does Cinder have a better understanding of how the powers work? If so, how?

Pyrrha shudders at this information. What does it mean for her? She knows it should change things, but she does what she can to ignore it. Everything's going to be fine. She'll have the powers transferred to herself and keep them safe.

 **A humming of electricity is heard as the group comes to their destination at the end of the hallway: A large machine with lit screens hooked up to two rectangular pods, one of which is upright to show through the glass window a young girl dressed in minimal clothing with a burn scar over her left eye and across her face.**

"That's her." Weiss whispers. "That's the fall Maiden." Just seeing her makes the entire situation seem much more real. Before she was almost following through with a story, but this is at least partial evidence that some of what's been said must be true.

"Now we understand what Qrow meant by her condition." Oscar says.

"I'm not sure if it's comparable, but this could be like having half a Semblance." Blake says. "I imagine that would put someone in shock regardless of the physical symptoms."

 **Pyrrha steps forward hesitantly. "Is that..."**

 **Ozpin sighs heavily. "The current Fall Maiden, Amber."**

"I thought she was called Autumn?" Sun asks. "I'm not crazy, right? They called her Autumn before. Or was that some other girl?"

"We probably misunderstood the meaning." Ren says. "Autumn might be a code they use to refer to the Fall Maiden. They do mean the same thing after all."

"What if Amber hasn't been hurt yet!" Yang says. "She could still be fine at this very moment."

"You're right!" Ruby readily agrees. "We might be able to save her."

"I seriously doubt that." Ren hates to be the bearer of bad news, but this is best said sooner rather than later. "Qrow sent Ozpin the message about how 'Queen Has Pawns', he was probably only asked to investigate because of the attack on Amber."

Ruby's expression crumples at this. She thought there might be an easy answer, but Ren's logic makes too much sense.

" **She's... still alive." Pyrrha holds her arms against herself.**

" **For now." Ironwood says. "We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there is a lot about this situation that is... unprecedented."**

"Not even they know what to do." Blake realises. "And we don't know any more about this situation then they do. How are we going to fix this?"

"We hope that we learn more." Ren says. "That's all we can do."

" **What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks.**

 **Ironwood sighs, eyes closed. "Well, we don't know what will happen if… when she passes."**

"So she isn't healing." Jaune says.

"I'd be surprised if she was." Weiss says. "Whatever happened must have hurt her on a more fundamental level. And I don't even know what I'm talking about when I say that."

" **Won't... her power... just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha asks.**

' _But who would that be?'_ Ruby thinks. _'Family? A friend?'_

" **Look who's been listening!" Qrow comments, then whispers to Ozpin. "She is smart."**

" **Under normal circumstances, yes." Ironwood answers the question. "But this is a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be of their attacker."**

"So Cinder would get the power." Yang groans. "Well that's just freaking perfect!"

"I'm guessing we're all assuming Cinder is the one who stole the power." Blake says.

"Well who else would it be?" Weiss asks. "We know she must have had a part in it, and I doubt she would let Emerald have that power. Come to think of it, there's been a few times she's used powers that are hard to explain."

"Oh yeah!" Nora agrees. "Wasn't that during the Volume 1 finale, when it seemed like she was using Dust, but not really?"

"There was also how she popped some popcorn in her hand." Weiss says. "We assumed it might be a Semblance, but it'd be weird if Maiden powers didn't come with the ability to heat thinks up."

 **Ironwood looks at Amber. "And to make matters worse, no one's seen the power split like this before. For all we know, it will seek out its other half."**

 **Pyrrha connects the pieces together. "...Her assailant."**

"Either way would be bad." Blake says. "The only way it would turn out well is if it still went to Ambers last thoughts and she was thinking of someone else."

"I definitely wouldn't take those odds." Sun says. "Just one of them sounds way too risky."

" **And that would not bode well for any of us." Ozpin turns to Pyrrha.**

 **Pyrrha lowers her head in thought, then suddenly comes forward and places a hand on the glass of Amber's pod.**

' _What's Pyrrha going to do?'_ Jaune wonders. He knows she would ordinarily take the Maiden powers, but this is an unusual situation even by Ozpin's standards. What even are her options?

" **If all of this is true, why keep it secret!?" Pyrrha's voice turn to anger, looking at the teachers and gesturing wildly. "If this girl is so important... if… if we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?"**

"This isn't the type of thing you want the general public to know." Blake says. "While the idea of keeping these secrets disgusts me, it's clear that things would be much worse if they were revealed."

"How so?" Ruby asks.

"It would cause more negative emotions than positive ones." Blake explains. "And from what we've heard, that's not something the world can afford right now." _'And that's not even mentioning what some people would do.'_

The idea of increased negativity causing havoc isn't an unfamiliar one to anyone in the room. They all understand how the Grimm react to it. But they've always lived believing that threshold is unreachable in the modern world. Could this information really threaten it?

 **Goodwitch comes forward to explain. "From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge."**

" **Excuse me?" Pyrrha didn't expect this answer.**

" **How do you think legends and fairy tales get started?" It's now Qrow's turn to elaborate as he pulls out the familiar flask. "Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." He gets the lid off and takes a swig.**

"How can people forget something like that!?" Sun complains. "This is way too big for that!"

"I'd have to disagree." Blake says. "We don't know how long this has been a secret for. If evidence of the Maidens existence disappeared, it'd only take three of four generations for people to become sceptical."

"You really think that could happen?" Ruby asks.

"Possibly." Blake says. "But if there were a group aiming to hide their existence, it suddenly becomes much more possible."

"But that still doesn't answer my question." Pyrrha says. "Why are they hiding it?"

" **Our group was founded in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens." Goodwitch elaborates. "Those hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength."**

 **Qrow finishes his drink. "And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the ones you'd want to have unimaginable power."**

"That seems like a good enough reason." Nora comments.

"I suppose." Pyrrha acknowledges. She's not a fan of keeping secrets, but she'll admit that keeping the powers out of the hands of someone like Cinder is more important.

"It's also worth noting that Goodwitch just revealed the purpose of their group." Jaune says. "And I don't have any reason to think she might be lying."

"I'm not sure if we should be comforted by that." Yang says. "Like, are they a very active group, or do they usually have nothing to do since there are no immediate threats to mankind."

"In that case they'd probably do as normal Huntsmen and just hunt Grimm." Weiss says. "It certainly seems like something they'd do."

" **And so this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend." Ironwood explains.**

" **The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history and religion." Goodwitch says.**

"No wonder it took so long for me to believe it." Weiss says. "They literally stacked everything up so anyone would reject the notion of it immediately."

"Isn't that kind of sinister?" Sun asks.

"It's necessary." Ren says. "They have good reasons to justify it, so we can't be too hard on them. But at the same time, their willingness to resort to these methods is worrying."

"It's not that bad." Ruby argues.

"True." Ren agrees. "But we don't know what else they'd be willing to do. How far would Ozpin be willing to go if he considered it necessary?"

" **No one would want to believe us. It would cause an uproar." Ironwood says.**

" **It would cause panic." Ozpin interjects. "And we all know what that would bring to clawing at our Kingdom's walls."**

"And there's the real reason." Blake says. "With the Grimm as strong as they are now, they probably want to avoid causing negative emotions on a mass scale. Even ignoring the current situation there was probably never a good time to reveal it."

"But we could manage, right?" Jaune asks. "I'm not saying it wouldn't be a bad thing, but the kingdoms defences would be strong enough to hold them back."

"I really have no idea." Blake replies. "There's never been panic on such a mass scale before. Still, the worst case scenario is probably a few breaches around the perimeter. The additional Atlas troops should be enough to make sure the civilians get to a safe zone. It'd be recoverable but the main problem would be how no one would ever feel truly safe again."

"The big difference between Kingdoms and large settlements is how Kingdoms have a guarantee of safety." Weiss agrees. "Take that away and there'll be chaos."

 **Ozpin turns his gaze away from the others. "Which is why we would like to..."**

" **I'll do it." Pyrrha accepts, causing Ozpin to looks up in surprise. "If you believe that this will help humanity..." She gives them all a resolute look. "...then I will become your Fall Maiden."**

"Wow!" Nora exclaims. "Congratulations!"

"I'm sure you'll do a great job." Jaune agrees, doing his best to put on a comforting smile while suppressing his worries. This is Pyrrha's big chance. It's everything she's ever wanted. He has to support her no matter what.

"I…" Pyrrha's at a loss for words. She knew it was coming, but actually hearing it… she's proud of herself, or possibly her other self. She's proud knowing that when the world truly needs her, she'll surely agree to help.

"I'm sure you'll make for an excellent Maiden." Weiss says.

"You got this!" Yang cheers.

 **The adults silently turn to each other with wary faces.**

Pyrrha's entire body suddenly turns cold. "Wh… what are they doing?"

"They…" Blake looks carefully at their expressions. "They're unsure about something, or… they think they've miscommunicated something?"

" **That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Pyrrha asks.**

"What else could it be?" Ruby asks. "They said they want you to be the next Fall Maiden, they should be glad to have you onboard."

" **It is, but I'm afraid it's not that simple." Ozpin steps forwards. "Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution."**

"This… doesn't sound good." Yang says. "Do they plan on doing the same thing Cinder must have done?"

"But… that would kill Amber." Ruby says.

Ren sighs. "I hate to say it but Ambers practically already dead. Besides, there's no way for someone else to gin the powers without her dying. She's only alive now because Cinder left some of the powers for some reason."

"Yeah… err. Why would she do that?" Sun asks. "I know I'm not an expert, but if she was able to take some of the powers and leave Amber in this condition, why didn't she take the rest?"

"We really don't have the information to even guess about that." Ren says.

 **Ironwood explains. "For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a more scientific standpoint; how it works, what's it made of, how it can be used. We've made... significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it."**

"Is he… talking about what I think he is?" Oscar asks. The idea in his mind is disturbing to say the least.

" **Capture it and cram it into something else." Qrow gestures to Pyrrha as she takes a second to realize what that means. "Or in your case..."**

The entire group goes stiff.

"They want to…? They're going to…?" Ruby can't finish either sentence.

"That's horrible!" Yang yells, her voice writhing with disgust. "How could they even consider this?!"

"I mentioned how we should be worried how far they're willing to go." Ren says. "From a purely logical standpoint, it's the right thing to do. But that doesn't change the fact that it's inhumane."

Pyrrha doesn't respond to any of this. Her mind reeling from the new decision she'll probably still have to make. She thought she was willing to do anything to protect the world, but the idea of being part of something like this is painful to even think about, and that's without even knowing what the consequences might be.

 **Pyrrha's expression turns to disgusted horror as she looks at Ironwood. "That's..."**

" **Classified." Ironwood declares.**

" **...wrong!" Pyrrha states.**

"It really is." Sun agrees. "They have to at least realise that. Right?"

"I can't imagine they wouldn't." Blake says. "We're talking about someones Aura. To rip someones Aura from their soul, or worse, their Soul from their body… It's just…" She can't properly put it into words. The best descriptor would be soul crushing, but at that point it wouldn't be an analogy anymore.

 **Goodwitch glares at Ironwood. "The feeling is mutual." She switches her gaze back to Pyrrha. "But desperate times call for desperate measures."**

At this point Jaune snaps out of his revulsion to what they're planning and actually remembers the context. So instead be becomes furious. "How dare they!"

"J…Jaune?" Pyrrha's surprised by his sudden outburst. She hasn't seen his this angry since he confessed how he didn't really get accepted to Beacon, and even then it was anger at himself. But this, this is hatred. The look in his eyes shows hatred towards Ozpin's group.

"I mean… come on!" Jaune yells. "They're seriously asking this of you?! Making you part of something so… something like this!"

"But they're asking for permission." Pyrrha argues. "And you heard how bad they say things are. This is… they have to at least try something."

Jaune just grunts, not wanting to lash out at Pyrrha, it's for her sake he's angry in the first place. And he does understand, he really does, but Pyrrha's not the kind of person to deny this request, he knows she'll eventually agree to it. The teachers probably also know this, so it's not really a choice in the full sense. He just hates the idea of Pyrrha being dragged into something like this, and what about side effects? From the sounds of it not even they know what will happen. With something like this its hard to believe it will all end smoothly, something will go wrong, be it the transfer or Pyrrha's condition afterwards.

" **And these are indeed desperate times." Ironwood steps forwards. "We can't transfer Amber's power to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to."**

" **...Her Aura." Pyrrha realises.**

Blake's eyes go wide as she realises something. Realises isn't the exact word though, it'd be closer to say she has a theory that makes far too much sense. "Penny."

"What?" Ruby practically squeaks, already realising the possible connection.

"Penny's able to generate an Aura despite being made of metal." Blake explains. "But what if it wasn't originally 'her' Aura?"

"That's…" Ruby struggles for words. The implications aren't as dark as what might happen with Pyrrha, but there's one important question. "Who's… then who's was it?"

"Probably someone who wasn't able to live their life anymore." Blake answers. "It could be someone who was comatose, or someone one the verge of dying… at least, that's what I hope. This is all just speculation though."

"Regardless of that, I'm glad you reminded us about Penny." Weiss says. "Because I think I just solved one of the biggest mysteries about her."

"What?" Ruby asks. It's true she doesn't want her friends secrets being revealed without proper permission, but this is all speculation so there's no real harm.

"Penny was designed to be as similar to a normal girl as possible." Weiss explains. "It didn't really make sense that they wouldn't take some liberties in order to make her a more powerful weapon. Unless being a young woman was somehow an important part of the role she's meant to fulfil."

"Are you saying she's a Maiden?" Sun asks. "Because if so then that'd be like the biggest coincidence."

"I seriously doubt she's currently a Maiden." Weiss says. "This is more likely her trial period to see if she's a good person capable of defending herself. But if she were to eventually get the powers then can you imagine what that would mean? A girl who doesn't die of age holding that power. They'd never have to go through the risks of transferring ever again. I can at least see why it would appeal to Ironwood."

"You really think Penny's a part of Ozpin's group?" Oscar asks.

"Hmm." Weiss has to consider this for a bit. "Probably not, I doubt she even knows about the Maiden powers currently. This is just a line of thought, and like what Blake suggested, it lines up enough that it's probably at least partially true."

Normally the group would take time to digest all this, but the video isn't finished yet.

" **Her life would become intertwined with yours." Ozpin says. "The question is..."**

" **What's that going to do to you?" Qrow finishes Ozpin's sentence.**

The stomach of each viewer turns as they get dragged back into the current subject of the video. Jaune has calmed down a bit from his outburst but he's not as ready to accept Ozpins group as good as he was before.

They all know this will be a hard decision for Pyrrha, both in the video and quite possibly for the one among them. None really feel like they have the right to tell her what they think she should do. She's the one who would lose the most from this, so she has to make the decision herself.

 **Ozpin gives the final request as Pyrrha fully understands the dangers she might face. "You have an important decision before you, Miss Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work. And there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time on this matter. But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over, we will need your answer."**

Pyrrha shrinks into her spot on the couch. This is quite possibly the biggest decision she'll ever make. It's not something she can take lightly. The decision is immoral, the dangers are high, and the stress it would put on her friends would be terrible. But at the same time, she knows she'll always regret it if she does nothing. They may ask someone else to bear the burden, or Cinder could end up with the powers. It doesn't seem as if there are any easy answers.

"From a certain perspective, seeing this is a good thing." Ren says.

"How!?" Nora asks. "How is any of this good?"

"It means we might be able to see the consequences before our Pyrrha makes a decision." Ren answers. "If future Pyrrha accepts, we'll get to see if the prosses actually works and what the negative repercussions would be. Not even Ozpin knows these things, so it's very valuable information we can offer him."

"That's right!" Yang cheers. "That's practically the reason we're even watching this in the first place. Knowing the future so we can make better informed decisions!"

Jaune does feel better knowing this, but he's still worried. What if the transfer does work but changes who Pyrrha is? He's not sure if he wants Ozpin's group knowing in that case since they might consider it an 'acceptable loss'.

Pyrrha on the other hand is just relieved. She doesn't have to make a decision any time soon. It's actually smarter to wait for a while.

"That may not be necessary." Weiss says, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"W…what?" Ruby asks.

"Ironwood said that if Amber dies then the power may seek out its other half." Weiss explains. "But what if it works the other way? If the other person, assumedly Cinder, dies then the power may return to Amber. It's possible that the power will instead go to whoever Cinder's thinking about, or Amber may somehow die from the shock of the powers returning, but if we could force her final thoughts into being of someone trustworthy then the first problem is removed and the second problem could hardly be considered an unbearable scenario."

"That's perfect!" Nora yells. "You just made everything so much easier!"

"I'm surprised I didn't consider that earlier." Blake says. "Plus I'm fairly certain Ozpin would agree to help with this."

"At least we don't have to worry anymore." Yang says. "Damn that was stressful. It's good to stop every now and then to remember we can change all of this.

 **Pyrrha doesn't respond, instead placing her hand on the glass separating the maiden from her potential replacement, seeing her scared expression reflected on the scarred face of the dying girl, before turning away from this unexpected destiny as Ozpin gives one final warning.**

" **The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move. And there's no telling when their next move will be."**

"There is for us!" Nora jokes.

 **With the sound of a rapid heartbeat, the scene cuts to a smirking Cinder as she sits in one of the Amity Colosseum's seats along with the rest of the cheering crowd.**

"Okay. Now that has to prove Cinder's the assailant, right?" Oscar asks.

"It'd be pretty messed up to deceive us like that." Sun says. "And I'm pretty sure our mysterious host is on our side, so I'd say it's for certain."

" **Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" Port announces over the broadcasting system. "The one-on-one finals!"**

"There's more!?" Yang asks. "After everything we've just learned, there's more in the video?"

"I thought it was gonna end there too." Blake says. "I'm pretty sure we've had shorter videos."

"Well I doubt this last bit is going to be too interesting in comparison." Weiss says. "The tournament seems slightly underwhelming compared to everything else."

 **In the centre of the battlefield's stage, Yang smirks confidently as the camera pans down the line of final fighters, a few new faces mixed in with Sun, Penny, Mercury, and the troubled Pyrrha at the other end of the line.**

"Well would ya look at that." Sun says. "I guess all our teams made it to the one on ones."

"The only matches we'll really have to pay attention to are Mercury's though." Blake says. "Unless someone wants to take advantage of our chance to protect the world?"

Weiss notices Blake's eyes on her and is actually quite offended. "Do you really think I'm that shallow? I may have been doing so before, but I know when to prioritise more important things."

" **Barty, why don't you explain the rules?" Port asks his co-host.**

 **Oobleck answers. "Ah, it's quite simple, Peter. Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately before the match takes place!"**

" **Much like any good hunt, there will be zero time to prepare!" Port summarises.**

"That sounds pretty stressful." Oscar says.

"It's reality." Ruby explains. "These rules in the tournament were only involved later when some teachers got worried it wasn't a good enough simulation of real Huntsmen's duties."

"How do you now that?" Weiss ask. "I understand that you've been watching old tournament videos, but this can't have been from that."

"I decided to ask Oobleck about the tournament." Ruby explains. "I'm sure I missed some of the details, but this is one of the things that stuck with me."

" **Ah, yes, yes! Now, let's see who our first match will be!" The energetic doctor points out to the screens above the stadium as the roulette starts spinning, this time for competitors instead of biomes. The 'random selection' is watched by the owner of the Crow Bar, a group of Human and Faunus kids, the visitors and workers at the Cross Continental Transmit System, before it gets back from the worldwide audience glimpses to reveal the first showdown.**

"Anyone want to make a bet on which of our teams fights first?" Sun asks.

"No." Blake says.

"Aw come on." Sun pleads. "It'll be fun."

"I really don't think now's the best time for that?" Jaune says. "We should just use this match to cool down a bit, ironically."

" **Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black!" Port reads from the display.**

"Never mind, tensions are up again." Jaune quickly dismisses his earlier words.

"This'll probably be interesting." Nora says. "But wait, isn't Cinder rigging all of her teams matches?"

"That's right." Weiss remembers. "I doubt she just decided not to do it."

"Well I guess she made a mistake then." Yang grins. "Cus this match is gonna be Mercury's last."

"I wouldn't be too sure." Pyrrha says. "We all saw how well he did against Yatsuhashi. It's honestly quite likely that you'll lose."

"You could at least have some faith in me!" Yang complains.

"I'm not saying you will lose." Pyrrha says. "But Mercury's very skilled. Unless you're able to land a good hit on him while at full power I doubt you'll manage. He's the type of person who could easily exploit your weaknesses."

"But if Yang wins then that might ruin whatever Cinder's plans for the tournament are." Ruby says, hopefully.

"It's possible." Ren says. _'But at the same time, it's unlikely that she wouldn't have a backup plan for if that happened.'_

" **Break a leg, sis!" Ruby cups her hands to make sure her encouragement is heard from her spot alongside RWBY, JNPR, and SSSN.**

"Snap it in half!" Nora yells. "That'll show him."

"Remember, this is just a tournament match." Blake says. "Things like that don't ever actually happen."

"Aww." Nora sulks.

 **Cinder, still smiling, gets up from her place in the stands and begins walking out.**

' _Somethings suspicious about this.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Why is Cinder leaving? She seems far too smug about this match even if she expects Mercury to win.'_ He chooses not to say anything though, not wanting to needlessly worry everyone after what they've all seen when it might just be nothing.

" **Would all other combatants please leave the stage!" Port requests. The rest of the line-up does so, and Yang starts walking up to Mercury in the middle as the floor around them opens once more, with a ring of spotlights rising up to automatically fix their lights on the remaining two.**

"Wait, so how does this arena work?" Oscar asks. "I thought it'd be eight different zones."

"Since these matches are one on one there's a higher chance of the usual zones giving a big advantage." Ruby explains. "So instead they fight on a completely clear surface, with the excitement instead coming from how easy it is to get knocked out."

"Wouldn't that be sorta anticlimactic?" Oscar asks.

"You'd be surprised." Ruby answers. "Anyone chosen to get that far is usually able to stand their ground, have a method of avoiding a knockout or are skilled enough to avoid any attack that could force them out."

"And what category do I fit into?" Yang asks, both curious and hoping for an ego boost.

"Definitely the first group." Blake says. "You almost never avoid an attack, and last I checked you couldn't fly."

Yang does a mock grumpy expression, dramatically turning away from her partner.

"Getting him out of bounds might be your best strategy." Pyrrha says. "I doubt he'll give you a chance, but it's worth a shot."

 **Yang smiles. "You better not go easy on me."**

 **Mercury laughs darkly. "You wish."**

 **Both brawlers face the crowds one last time, then slowly start advancing on each other, arms raised defensively until their hands can almost touch, as Port calls the final countdown. "Three! Two! One! Begin!"**

"Go Yang!" Ruby cheers.

"You can do it!" Blake joins in.

"Fight!" Nora yells.

The others don't audibly cheer, but it's clear how excited they are for the fight. Part of this is because this is the first fight they've seen where they want one side to win for reasons other than friendships, but the biggest reason is that by throwing themselves into this fight they can temporarily forget about all the worries that earlier revelations have built up. Even though it's against Mercury, all they want to see is a regular match they can enjoy (preferably with Mercury losing).

 **Immediately, Yang throws a punch, and Mercury spins his foot to meet it, creating a shockwave between the weapons that launches him back. He closes the distance quickly and aims at her feet with his boot, but she leaps over it and fires off a shot of her Ember Celica that he rotates to avoid. They fight fist-to-fist for a moment, Yang getting in a fiery blast on her opponent at the cost of him also landing a blow on her. She falls back on her feet when Mercury shoots himself into the air to get farther away from her, looking up and smiling.**

"Wipe that stupid grin off his face!" Nora yells.

"You can do it!" Ruby yells.

"Make him taste the floor!" Yang shouts. "Wow, it really is weird to cheer for myself." She mumbles the last part.

 **Yang doesn't relent for a second, launching shot after shot only for Mercury to dodge each of them, sliding around the stage on clouds of air until he attempts to come down on her with his leg. She blocks and pushes away the attack, but he goes under her shotgun burst and manages to land a kick on her, though she still lands in a crouch, now grimacing. She launches forward with a double blast and continues landing blow after blazing blow on him, right up to when he roundhouse kicks her in the back and attempts to hit her with his heel. She gets out just in time and punches he ground trying to get him, but he leaps out and twirls to get a hit on her. One of his kicks seems to pass over her, but then he brings it down hard enough to shatter the concrete underneath, which Yang narrowly rolls backward to avoid.**

"Looks like you've really improved." Weiss says. "I can't remember the last time you fought this well."

"Well I'd hope so." Yang says. "This is about a month in the future after all. Be sorta a shame if I didn't get at least a bit better."

' _I'm not too sure.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Sure she's improved, but if I didn't know better then I'd say Mercury's holding back. But that can't be, right?'_

 **They exchange kicks after this attack until Mercury hits her backwards, and he rushes forward only to receive a fist to his chin, then his torso, knocking him on his stomach. He gets up right as Yang starts raining down fire again, causing him to somersault back until one explosion causes him to get knocked off of the stage.**

"You did it!" Ruby cheers.

"Well that ended fast." Sun says.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Pyrrha says. _'This is it. If Mercury lets himself fall then I'll know that he's throwing the match. I'm not sure what that would accomplish, but it would mean that it's somehow part of Cinder's plan.'_

 **Mercury saves himself by firing his boots downward and flying back in front of his enemy, unleashing a series of kicks that she deflects with her arms.**

"Aw come on!" Nora screams. "That's still gotta count as a ringout, right?"

"It doesn't count unless he hits the floor." Ruby sulks.

' _I guess I was just imagining it then.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Maybe it's just a bad day for him.'_

 **Yang ducks under one attack only to receive another as Mercury jumps into the air to knock her back, and he follows it up with a shot from his boots. Yang avoids it effortlessly, not noticing it still hanging around behind her.**

 **Switching tactics, Mercury starts shooting his foot out in every direction, each kick into the air accompanied by a silvery blast that are barely even aimed at Yang. She dodges each one coming her way and gets in close through the circling barrage of shots, fighting with their fists again until Mercury kicks her into the air and knocks her right back to the ground, followed by the dozens of swirling shots that now converge right on to Yang.**

"Ouch!" Yang winces. "That's gotta hurt."

"That's probably about all you can take." Pyrrha says, voice calm so as not to upset her. "Yatsuhashi could just barely stay in the battle after it, and no offence but much more durable than you."

"Come on!" Yang yells, not refuting Pyrrha. She knows better than to ignore her expertise.

"Erm…" Oscar chimes in. "I didn't hear a buzzer."

 **When the blasts stop coming down on his opponent, Mercury gets up from his crouch and grins to himself, dusting off his outfit and seeming as happy as can be until the smoke from behind him erupts into flames.**

"Back in action!" Yang cheers. "Guess that means I just barely survived. Now he's in for a real pummelling!"

' _There it is again.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'He just decided to walk away assuming he's won. Any fighter knows better than that. Are his thought otherwise occupied?'_

 **Mercury's momentary shock turns into another smile as he turns around to see the red-eyed Yang slam her knuckles together and come at him. Screaming, she lands a punch that sends him back, and she rushes up avoiding each kick and even taking one with no effect to pound at him with an unrelenting bombardment of left-right blows. He has enough time to let out a pained groan before she hits him in the stomach, his Aura sparkling up to try and defend him from the last hit to the face by the upset blonde. He lands on his back as the buzzer sounds over the roars of the audience.**

"VICTORY!" Yang yells with all her might. She's honestly slightly surprised she managed to do it but more than anything she's excited.

"That was awesome!" Ruby cheers, suddenly hugging her sister.

"That's gotta be one of the best fights yet." Sun says.

The others each give their own congratulations, except for Nora who's caught up in her cackling laughter, though that may also count.

" **What a way to kick off the finals!" Port announces as Yang lowers her fists and closes her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief before opening them back up to her usual lilac and raising her arm in victory. The large monitor is seen with Yang at 16% aura and Mercury at 0%.**

"Looks like you really were on the verge of losing." Blake says. "That was just lucky."

"It means I was at maximum power." Yang grins.

" **Yang Xiao Long wins!" Oobleck say while the stage is enclosed by the stadium floor again.**

 **Ruby splays her arms in excitement. "Yeah! You did it, sis!"**

" **Way to go, Yang!" Blake giving a standing ovation as Weiss pumps her fists.**

' _Our other selves congratulations seem quite mellow in comparison.'_ Weiss thinks. _'I suppose that's because they don't have any reason to dislike Mercury. Or perhaps the fact that they're in a much more public place.'_

 **Yang wipes her brow with an arm as she addresses the hunched-over Mercury. "Better luck next time." She starts walking to the exit, getting pretty far away before Mercury seems to get up outside her peripheral vision.**

" **There's not going to be a next time, Blondie!" Mercury's voice has a murderous echo, as if sound is distorted.**

"Wha…?" Ruby tilts her head at this. "That sounded weird."

' _He couldn't seriously be planning to retaliate?'_ Blake thinks. _'He doesn't even have any aura left, and that's discounting how many witnesses there are.'_

 **A sharp sound is heard in the sudden silence as Yang turns around just in time to see Mercury leap forward with a kick to his unsuspecting victim. Yang scowls as she just manages to both bring her gauntlet down on and shoot his leg before he hits her. The second she does so, there is a sound of something breaking.**

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Sun shouts. "Why would he… what?" He struggles for words.

"This was an act of spite." Weiss says. "There really was no reason for it, he just wanted to get back at Yang." She practically growls. "I say he got what he deserved."

' _Something about that seems wrong.'_ Jaune thinks. _'Mercury's never striked me as the type to be ruled by emotions. This is… this is something else.'_

 **The audience gasps in shock, and Mercury reels back from the pain.**

" **My word!" Oobleck gets up from his chair.**

" **Cut the cameras!" Port yells to someone offscreen.**

Yang winces at the negative response, but at the same time she's reassured. Everyone seems to hate Mercury for what he did, after all, she didn't do anything wrong.

"Something about this seems off." Jaune voices his opinion. "Just… the way everyone's reacting. It doesn't seem to match what happened."

"You really think so?" Weiss considers it. "I suppose, but it's not like we have any point of reference."

Jaune sighs. She's probably right, but he can't shake the feeling that this is more important than it seems.

 **The audiences looks of surprise, horror, and hatred at Yang cut to a view of Mountain Glenn, where two Goliaths and a pack of Beowolves all look towards the Colosseum floating near Beacon, sensing the negative emotions.**

"WHAT!" Weiss yells. "Why are the Grimm reacting. It wasn't that bad."

"Why are we being shown the Grimm reacting." Ren says. "Nothing in these videos is an accident."

' _The Grimm sense negative emotions, so this is a visual way of showing how large those emotions are._ ' Jaune thinks. _'But why? People shouldn't be reacting like this.'_

" **My leg, MY LEG!" Mercury is still grasping his injured body part, rocking back and forth in pain.**

Yang only now realises what it means to take one of her punches without any aura. If it were any other situation then she'd feel bad, but he was the one who initiated it. He has no real right to complain about how things turned out.

 **Yang trash talks her opponent. "That's what you get, you little- Huh?" She stops just as she notices the Atlesian Knight-200 droids and two Soldiers circling the Huntress-in-training and raising their guns to her.**

" **Yang Xiao Long, stand down!" A soldier orders.**

It's only now that the group fully understands how unusual the situation is. Before they could just ignore it as an exaggeration, but the soldiers shouldn't be getting involved like this.

"W-why?" Yang stares, mouth hanging open. Why are they treating her like the villain?

Ruby's also unsure how to handle the situation. Sure her sister might have gone a bit too far when it comes to dealing with him, but it was just self-defence. Why does no one else seem to see it that way.

" **What!? Why!?" Yang is completely bewildered, not having a clue what's going on.**

" **Mercury!" Emerald rushes over to her partner's side, comforting him.**

" **Why'd she do that!?" Mercury cries hysterically. "WHY'D SHE ATTACK ME!?"**

"What is he talking about!?" Yang yells. "Why wouldn't I attack him? Does he really think he can just act like that to get some sympathy!?"

"He really is acting the part of a victim." Jaune say with a thoughtful expression. "I'm sure we're missing something here, something that puts all of this in context."

 **Yang receives a disgusted scowl from Emerald, only now looking up at the screens above her to see the footage of what really just transpired: Yang circling the crouched-down Mercury until the footage cuts to him just standing there and her suddenly shooting him in the leg. The sound of something breaking rings out, and Mercury screams and falls over in pain.**

The group looks on in shock at the starkly different version of the event. Wide eyed and practically frozen in place.

"That's…" Yang feels her entire world crashing down on her. "That's not what happened. He attacked me. I saw it."

Jaune takes some time to form the right words, not wanting to push any buttons. "We saw what happened from your perspective. It's a common movie trick."

Blake's mind reels with what this means. She's heard this defence used before, members of the White Fang saying they were certain they were being attacked to explain crippling someone. She thought it was just an excuse then, but here she can actually see it happening. But that doesn't comfort her in the slightest. It was always those people who eventually became the most hateful. Is Yang really like that? She knows she has a temper but could it really turn to the point of malice? She's already leaning away from her partner. She's been hurt like this before and she doesn't want it to happen again.

Yang doesn't know how to respond to all this. Could something like this really be all in her head? She can feel herself getting dizzy just at the idea that something like that would actually happen.

 **It takes a moment of staring at the images until Yang finally understands what she did, and her gaze turns up to the wide-eyed, terrified faces of Blake, Weiss, and Ruby. She looks around at the guns aimed at her and the people cursing her name, still not knowing what just happened or what will come next as the screen cuts to black.**

The look on her teams faces is what really breaks Yang. She can feel the tears running down her cheeks before she even realises she's crying.

"Yang." Ruby grabs her sisters arm. Ready to do whatever it takes to comfort her sister in this troubling time.

Yang struggles to give a teary smile. She's not entirely sure what's going on but at least she has her sister and the rest of her team. To her left Weiss is doing everything she can to give a comforting look, and to her right…

Blake backs away slowly.

"B-Blake?" Yang stutters.

Blake is confused. Not entirely sure what to think in the moment. She knows Mercury is a villain, but that's no excuse for hurting him like this. She feels her head spinning, the distinction between the two versions of Yang no longer apparent to her. "I… I need time to think about this."

Everything about the things she saw just reminds her of Adam, as if she can't escape the headspace. A person hurting bad people in ways that are overly vicious, claiming it's the others fault for it in the first place. It all rings far too similar to her.

She knows she isn't thinking completely strait. Her misplaced feet as she backs away make that clear. That's why she asked for time, she needs to process all of this properly.

But Yang doesn't see any of this. She sees one of her closest friends cowering from her as if she's some kind of villain. She tries to take a step forwards but that only caused her partners expression to darken as she hits the wall behind her

"I… I." Yang doesn't know what to say. Is this really her fault? Regardless, what she's seeing right now is one of her greatest fears. Someone very close to her seems about ready to head for the hills just to get away from her. She can't deal with this. Not now. Not after what she just saw.

But at the same time, does she really deserve any trust right now? Everyone's been going on about how they should learn the truth together. That they can use the information to make a better future. But she's been hiding some of that information. A part of her thinks that might be why Blakes acting like this, even though her logical side is saying that's impossible. "I need to go to my room." That's where she left the envelope, right? If she shows it will Blake trust her again? Regardless, it seems worth the risk.

Blake watches as Yang leaves, grateful more than anything. She keeps getting flashes of Adam's misdeeds, some overlapping what Yang did in the video. Now what she needs to do is sort herself out so she can properly understand wha…

*SLAP*

Blake touches her cheek as she looks to who attacked her. She was so zoned out she didn't even see it coming despite it happening being right in front of her.

"What were you doing!?" Weiss yells, her eyes furious but without an ounce of hatred. "This was clearly part of Cinder's plan somehow! How could you distrust Yang so easily!?"

It takes a moment for Blake to put the pieces together. _'Cinder? What has she got to do with this? Wait, wasn't Ozpin talking about how Cinder was planning something? And Mercury was involved, that can't be a coincidence.'_

 **Another bonus video has been added to 'World of Remnant'**

No one notices this message popping up on the screen except Ren, who takes note that it doesn't have any congratulations like the other ones. He supposes it's only appropriate after what they just saw.

Blake digests the new information. Getting slapped helped get her out of her daze so she can properly see things as they are, not as her worst fears, and the reminder of Cinder puts everything in perspective. This situation isn't like Adam at all, how could she have thought that? "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that to me." Weiss demands. "Go tell Yang that, right this instant!"

Blake meekly nods, heading for the door in a slog.

But before she reach it, the door opens by itself, and there stands Yang. She seems determined about something.

She brings up her right hand, revealing it to be holding a piece of paper. No, an envelope.

"I need to show you all something."

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Starts with Pyrrha in Ozpins office

Pyrrha moved forwards to the one on one fights confirmed

Qrow also in the room, introduces himself

"What is your favourite fairy tale?" , (useful for an analogy?)

Ozpin's interest is on Story of the Seasons

Pyrrha recites the story

Maidens in story must be connected to Maidens mentioned in previous video

Ozpin claims the story is true, there are four Maidens existing that wield tremendous power

Maidens are Magic

Ozpin seems to be serious

They believe Pyrrha is next in line to receive Fall Maidens powers

Goodwitch and Ironwood arrive

They are asking for Pyrrha's help in defending the world, this confirms the scale of the videos is bigger than we expected

Cut to them all in the elevator, heading to Vault, under the school

Arrive at vault, big hallway, headed to other side

Pyrrha asks for explanation

When a Maiden dies, their power leaves their body and seeks a new host

Inherit rules are complicated, specifically given to young women, last in their thoughts, if last was ineligible power goes to random

Why now? Ran out of time, Grimm getting stronger, peace about to end

War, not between nations, how big are Cinder's forces?

Part of Fall Maiden's powers stolen

At end of hallway is weird machine with two chambers, one of them contains an unconscious girl with horrible scars

Unconscious girl is Amber the Fall Maiden, Autumn is an alias

If/when Amber dies power will probably go to person who stole part of her powers

Cinder is probably the one who stole Ambers power

Maidens used to be common knowledge

People hunted Maidens with intention of inheriting powers, so Ozpin's group (predecessors) hid their existence

They have been shaping culture in order to make people not believe in Maidens

If willing to do this much, what else are they willing to do?

Pyrrha agrees to become new Fall Maiden

It's more complicated than that, can't inherit naturally due to circumstances

Altas has been studying Aura scientifically, have method of transferring it into something else

None of them happy with method, but they consider it necessary

Theory: Penny is result of someones Aura being put into a highly advanced android

Theory: Penny designed to be like a girl so she can inherit Maiden powers, less risky way of keeping power safe

Putting Amber's Aura into Pyrrha might have negative consequences, might not even transfer powers

Need decision from Pyrrha before end of festival

Visual confirmation that Cinder is the assailant

Scene change to one on one finals

Notable participants: Yang, Sun, Penny, Pyrrha, Mercury

First match: Yang vs Mercury

Cinder seems happy for some reason

Fight starts

Mercury almost ring out

Yang takes heavy hit, barely stays in fight

Yang uses Semblance to beat Mercury

Mercury attacks Yang after fight, Yang retaliates by striking leg

Everyone reacts over the top, Grimm take notice of negative emotions

Mercury acting like victim

Screen shows real events, Mercury walking about when Yang breaks his leg out of nowhere, Yang's perception not in line with reality


	42. V3: WoR3: Cross Continental Transmit

The others probably didn't realise it but Yang could hear everything that was happening while she was retrieving the letter. She realised that showing the letter to everyone didn't really have anything to do with how Blake had reacted, and since she could rightfully place all the blame on Cinders group somehow, she no longer needed to show them.

But that didn't stop her. She'd decided she was going to reveal the letter, so she was going to do it.

But as she was about to open the door she paused, not out of hesitation, but because she wasn't sure how to reveal it to the others. Should she pretend she just got it? No, that wouldn't work with how she purposely went to retrieve it. She could say she wasn't allowed to show it to them until they'd watched up to this point, but she doubted they'd all believe that, and they may draw some wrong conclusions about their host.

She could hear Blake walking towards the door from the other side, so she had to make a decision quick or instead this wouldn't be happening because of her resolve.

Seeing no other option, Yang settles on being completely honest and opens the door.

Blake actually jumps a bit, startled by the door opening. In most any other situation Yang would laugh, but she has something she must do.

She holds up her right hand, showing the envelope to everyone. "I need to show you something."

"Yang." Blake ignores this as she needs to apologise. "I'm so sorry about how I acted, I-I promise it won't happen again."

Yang smiles. She would have interrupted, saying it wasn't necessary, but she just got a since of comfort in hearing Blake say she wouldn't distance herself from them. "It's fine, I understand it was just the heat of the moment."

"What is that?" Weiss asks, looking at the envelope. Something about this just annoys her, Yang has something to show them and she chooses now of all times. Has she been hiding something? That doesn't sound like Yang, but it's hard to imagine anything else right now.

"This is… something I found on the floor of my training room a while back." Yang explains. "I was going to show it to you all before but… it just never seemed like the right time."

"How long ago?" Weiss marches right up to Yang and practically snatches it from her hands.

Yang winces. "Around the start of Volume 2."

Weiss glares at Yang. There's been plenty of opportunities since then, she should have known better than to wait this long.

"What does it say?" Ruby asks. She and the rest are still in their seats so they don't have a good view.

" **You never received this in the future, so take it now as a gift. Some parts have been censored for various reasons."** Weiss reads the envelope itself, then takes out the letter inside. "Plus there seems to be a lot of writing inside. I suppose I'll read it out for everyone." She walks over so she's standing in front of the screen, gesturing for Yang and Blake to go back to their seats.

"So it's a letter sent in the future?" Ren asks. "One Yang doesn't receive for some reason?"

"From what I can tell." Yang answers meekly, feeling ashamed after the telling of Weiss gave her. "And maybe it would be best if someone else read it out, because of…" She trails off at the end.

"What are you talking abou… ohh." Weiss reads the first sentence and it becomes clear. "Ruby, you're up."

"Me?" Ruby questions.

"It seems appropriate since you're the one who wrote it." Weiss says, taking back her seat as she hands Ruby the letter.

"I- I don't understand." Ruby says.

"It's a letter from future Ruby that apparently I never received." Yang explains.

"Err… okay." Ruby's blown away by the surreality of the situation, but even still she stands up and faces her audience.

" **Hey sis, I hope my letters have been reaching you and BLANK."** Ruby reads

"Who the heck is Blank?" Sun asks.

"I can't read that part, it's covered up." Ruby explains.

"That's the censoring." Yang explains. "I'm pretty sure it hides some really important information, but it's pretty much impossible to figure out just based on context."

"So do you have any idea who that part is referring to?" Jaune asks.

"I have some guesses." Yang replies. "Our dad, Qrow, Weiss, Blake. Those seem like the most obvious. But given later parts I'm leaning more towards it being our dad."

Ruby continues. **"Hand-written stuff's never been super reliable, but BLANKBLANKBLANKBLANKBLANK."**

"Seriously?" Oscar says.

"There was a very big censored part, what else am I meant to do?" Ruby says.

"So there's a reason you don't send it by Scroll but that part's censored." Ren deduces. "Any clue what the reason could be?"

"I wasn't sure at first." Yang says. "But since we saw Cinder upload the Virus I've become confident it's because Ruby didn't what it being intercepted."

"In other words we eventually find out about Cinder and her actions." Pyrrha says. "But then why haven't we requested the system be rebooted? I'm sure Ironwood could make it happen if we just explained it to him."

" **Anyway, in case you haven't been getting them, I want to say I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I know you told me it was a reckless idea, and after everything I've been through, I can definitely say you were right."** Ruby reads. "Wait, so I leave for some reason?" The idea of this doesn't sit right for her, why would she leave Yang behind?

"I'm guessing it's part of a mission for Ozpin." Yang explains. "One I apparently wanted no part in."

"That doesn't add up." Jaune says. "I mean… I get you not wanting to work for Ozpin, but if Ruby's going…."

"I know right!" Yang agrees. "That's the one part I don't get. I would definitely help Ruby on a mission, especially one as dangerous as this sounds."

" **Every step we made took us further and further from the things we knew. And every morning we woke up wondering, if just over the next hill would be something good or something terrible."** Ruby flinches at her own words. How could she ever write something like that? She's always tried to make sure her optimism comes through her writing, but this doesn't have any of that. It sounds broken and tired, like she just wants it to be over with.

Weiss looks at Ruby and feels her hurt, perhaps having her read it wasn't the best idea. But worse than that, they may get to see how her words turn so bleak. If Ruby's uncomfortable now, how will she react if she actually sees it?

" **It's scary not knowing what's going to happen next. And the things we do know now, just how bad it can get, it almost makes it all worse. We've all lost something, and I've seen what loss can do to people."**

Everyone in the room is feeling it again. The crushing dread that something horrible is about to happen. They've heard the warnings before, they already knew it would coming. But before they could imagine it being exaggerated. They had no real point of reference for what the Host considers a catastrophe.

But this is Ruby, the one person who never makes a situation sound worse than it is.

" **But if we gave up every time we lost, then we'd never be able to move forward. We'd never have a chance to see what beautiful things the future might have waiting for us. We'd never have the strength to change, whether it's ourselves, or the world around us."** Ruby breathes a sigh of relief at this. It finally sounds like her voice again.

Everyone else reacts the same way. A moment of collective relaxation you can identify just by the sound of it.

Yang has a small but forced chuckle at this. "Yeah, I felt the same way."

" **And we'd never be there for other people who might one day be lost without us. This is what we were training for, Yang, to become Huntresses, to be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world. Because there are plenty of people out there who are still lost and even more who will try to gain everything they can from their sorrow."**

Blake finds herself agreeing with this. In a way, the Black Fang Adam's been spearheading is a collection of people trying to gain from their sorrows, people who have lost their way. These kind of people stopped caring about what they think is best, instead focusing on what feels right. But for people who have been hurt their entire lives, that just means trying to pass it on to someone else.

" **Believe me when I say, I know it can feel impossible, like every single day is a struggle against some unstoppable monster we can never hope to beat. But we have to try, if not for us, then for the people BLANKBLANK we haven't… lost… yet."** Ruby practically chokes up on this, just thinking about the implications. Does this mean that they actually lose someone? Surely not. Some of it was covered. Whatever was missing must put everything into context. Right?

"This is the main reason I didn't want to show it to everyone." Yang says. "It's sorta hard to tell, but the fact that it implies that… 'you know what' might happen just seems… I just didn't want to worry you all over what might be nothing."

Hearing this, Weiss starts to understand. These people, along with Winter, are the most important to her in the world. If she was told that one of them would die, and that nothing they could do would change it, she doubts she'd be able to tell them. The situation isn't completely comparable but she can at least understand it.

"Are you sure there was a censored part?" Ren asks. "The sentence seems to make sense even without it."

"I-it's there." Ruby murmurs.

No one else speaks, they don't really know what to say about this. So, Ruby continues.

" **I miss you so much. BLANK SENTENCE. But I think you'd all be proud to know that I made it to BLANK. BLANKBLANKBLANK, and we even ran into BLANK along the way."**

"This seems to be getting harder and harder to get anything out of." Blake says.

"It just means that the information is becoming more and more important." Weiss says. "What I'm interested in is where you're going, who with, and who you met."

"I've got no idea where it is that they're going." Yang admits. "But I'm guessing I was the only member of RWBY left out, and that Qrow's they one you all meet up with."

"I'll note the possibility." Ren says. "But we can't assume anything."

" **He's going to take us to see BLANKBLANK, the BLANKBLANKBLANK. And he told us some things that you're gonna wanna hear, things I can't trust will make it to you in this letter."**

"Definitely some heavily classified information." Sun says. "I mean, you're going out of your way to write a letter but still omit stuff. You think Ruby ends up learning about the Maidens?"

"I certainly hope so." Pyrrha says. "It'll be weird seeing everyone calm when we know what might be at stake. Though I guess that's not a worry with how the last one ended."

" **But maybe, if you join us, he could tell you himself. With BLANKBLANKBLANKBLANKBLANKBLANKBLANK, and I know you need to focus on yourself before I can expect you to come out with me. But it sure would be great to BLANKBLANKBLANKBLANK."**

"We seem to be getting just glimpses of the situation without any of the context." Jaune says. "What do you think you're up to Yang?"

"Probably dealing with the aftermath of injuring Mercury." Yang answers. "I'd like to think that's not enough to stop me from going with Ruby, but the alternative is that something even worse happens."

' _That's all but inevitable at this point.'_ Oscar thinks. He want's this to be over more than anyone, but even he knows that what's happened isn't enough to count as a 'catastrophe'.

" **Until next time, your loving sister, Ruby Rose.**

 **Oh! Uh, PS. I'll be sure to give you the address of where we're staying in BLANK! I'd love to hear back from you BLANK, and I can't wait to fill you in on whatever's going to happen next! Now that we've made it BLANK, I really think things are gonna start going our way."**

"Ending it on a positive note. That certainly sounds like Ruby." Blake says.

"I mean… yeah." Ruby agrees.

"So… what does this mean?" Nora asks.

"Ruby goes on a journey with some people, Yang chooses not to come because of personal reasons, bad things happen before this, but Ruby eventually reaches her destination." Ren summarises. "The censoring takes away too much for us to properly come to any conclusions, and with what we've learned about the Maidens, it's not impossible that something completely unexpected would put everything in a different light."

"I think there's a more pressing issue then that." Weiss says. "Before we concluded that this would be the final Volume, but now I think we can safely say that isn't the case."

"That's… a bad thing. Right?" Oscar asks. "If what Ruby wrote about isn't the catastrophe then…"

"We can't be sure of that." Blake says. "We were only told that the videos would be useful to avert the catastrophe. The was no indication that it would happen at the end. Rather, knowing how it was potentially fixed could help us avert it."

"I guess that makes sense." Sun agrees.

' _That's still not a guarantee.'_ Ren thinks. _'Ruby's letter indicated that things could still go badly. We can't let our guard down even if we think it's over. That's what got us into this mess.'_ He remembers how team RWBY was acting at the end of Volume 2.

"Can we stop now?" Pyrrha asks. "I just… I have a lot to come to terms with."

"S-sure." Ruby agrees. "We know this must be a lot for you to take in, what with last episode and all. I think we could all do with a break."

"Before that, we have a World of Remnant to Watch." Ren points out. "I don't expect it to contain much, but it's probably best for us to get it over with."

"Ghhhh. Fine!" Weiss grumbles. "At least it shouldn't take long."

 **Volume 3: World of Remnant 3: Cross Continental Transmit System**

"Seems like an interesting topic." Sun says. "Think it'll become relevant."

"None of the others have." Weiss gripes.

"It's probably just to explain how it works." Blake says. "Like how we apparently needed an explanation on what Aura is."

" **Throughout the years, the world of Remnant has seen hundreds of technological advances that changed society, the most influential out of all of them, being the Cross Continental Transmit System." Ozpin narrates.**

' _Certainly undeniable.'_ Yang thinks. _'People in other Kingdoms went from being strangers and potential enemies, to potential friends who could share interests.'_ That's how it'd been explained to her at least.

" **Prior to the invention of the CCTS, long range communication was extremely limited. The discovery and development of radio technology allowed for communication within the boundaries of most Kingdoms. But communication with other parts of the world was restricted to the physical delivery of messengers." Radio communication between Vale and Patch is shown, but between Vale and Vacuo a travel route has to be used instead.**

' _Letters are a thing of the past in any sufficiently populated area.'_ Pyrrha thinks. _'Which makes Ruby's letter all the more suspicious. What circumstance could lead her to thinking it was the better option?'_

" **With every alternative form of communication that was proposed, there seemed to be the perfect obstacle." A postman walks down the travel route, but is intercepted by a Beowolf.**

" **The destructive nature of the creatures of Grimm severely limited the reliability of ground-based technologies." A pack of Beowolves assault and destroy a cargo train.**

"The Grimm just have to ruin everything, don't they?" Ruby complains.

"Sorta makes you wonder what life would be like without them." Nora says. "Better, for starters."

"Can you believe there are actually some people who disagree with that." Jaune chuckles at the idea. "I mean, I get some of their arguments, but none of it could ever compare to how much damage the Grimm do."

Nora nods her head frantically.

" **The concept of relay satellites orbiting around the planet was promising. Unfortunately, modern man has yet to make the technological advancements to achieve spaceflight, as all known Dust types lose their power as they begin to leave Remnant's atmosphere." A Spaceship ascends to great heights, but loses power once it reaches a certain point.**

"That's another big mystery about Dust." Blake says. "I doubt we'll find an answer, but we also didn't expect to learn about Maidens so…"

"I actually heard they figured out a way to make artificial satellites without the need for Dust usage." Weiss recalls. "Although, it would still need Dust to get into orbit, but a few scientists claim they can use the momentum from the launch to make it fly forever."

"That sounds like it might have been useful in the past." Sun says. "But right now it's sorta redundant."

" **Eventually, it was the people of Atlas, the world's leader in science and technology, which developed the Cross Continental Transmit system." On the Remnant map, a great tower ascends from Atlas.**

"And the people of Atlas have never let us forget it." Nora moans.

"We're not that bad." Weiss complains.

"You sorta are." Ruby whispers, hoping Weiss doesn't actually hear her.

" **It was revolutionary. Like radio, signals were sent and received wirelessly, though the contents of these transmissions were not nearly as limited. Audio, video, images and text were all capable of transmission. Eventually, an entire online web of information was at mankind's fingertips." Another tower appears at Haven, so the two towers have various data sent between them.**

"Anyone else remember that disaster movie where all Dust stopped working." Jaune asks. "All anyone ever did was complain about losing access to the web."

"I assure you, if that ever did happen, the web would be the least of our concerns." Weiss says.

"Y-yeah." Jaune shudders at the thought of the Grimm attacks. That's one aspect the movies always end up ignoring.

" **Currently, the system is supported by four primary relay towers, each located within a safeguarded area of the kingdoms. These towers allow for wireless communication within a Kingdom through the use of devices such as Scrolls. The signals become less reliable the farther a user travels from the CCT Tower." Towers appear at Vale and Vacuo, each tower lighting up the area around them.**

"Do some places still not have good connection?" Ruby asks.

Nora tilts her head. "Have you ever even left Vale?"

"I-I mean." Ruby stutters. "I've been to Mountain Glenn."

"That doesn't count." Sun says. "Seriously, you're sounding sorta sheltered right now."

' _I was almost going to ask the exact same question as Ruby.'_ Weiss thinks, very glad that she didn't.

" **And although smaller support towers do exist outside of Kingdoms, they are constantly at risk of destruction by the creatures of Grimm." Relay tower appear but some are destroyed by Beowolf claws.**

Everyone groans. It's as if the Grimm just exist to ruin everything. They'd be more surprised if that wasn't the case.

" **Shortcomings aside, for the first time in history, digital transmissions between Kingdoms were possible through the use of slightly more advanced devices, typically found in homes and CCT centres." An artful version of when Weiss used the CCT centre is shown.**

Weiss rolls her eyes. _'There goes any hope this video could be used as an informative aid for kids.'_

" **The Cross Continental Transmit System has, and will continue to advance the progression of mankind. However, if one of the four towers is taken offline, the entire network falls with it, a slight inconvenience during routine maintenance." The tower at Vacuo short-circuits, so the other towers each cease to function.**

"Seriously?" Oscar asks. "Why?"

"It's one of the trade offs that came with getting such a reliable signal between towers." Weiss explains. "Nowadays it could be fixed with a few months of planning, but Vacuo has been extremely against this idea, fearing getting cut of from the rest of the world."

"I think I remember one of those rally's." Sun says. "Though riot would better describe it."

" **But to be honest, I find the limitations somewhat poetic. No one voice is louder than the others, and no voice may be silent without the rest. If the people of Remnant are to speak, then they shall do so together..." The screen fades to black.**

"That's actually quite nice." Ruby says.

" **...or not at all."**

"Foreshadowing?" Yang wonders.

"I wouldn't count on it." Weiss says. "All the bonus videos end on an ominous note. It's probably just trying to set the tone."

With that, they decide to end the viewing for now. Some decide to stay, while others leave to mull things over.

The one thing they all know though, is that the videos going forwards will have a completely different tone.

It's not one any of them are looking forwards to.


	43. V3: C7: Beginning of the End

It took longer than they planned for everyone to return to the viewing room.

The original plan was for them all to be back in roughly half an hour, since the last episode left in such a big cliff-hanger that they didn't want to wait too long.

But with time, that eagerness turned to unease. Things didn't look like they'd be getting better any time soon, and none of they wanted to see things get worse.

But after their evening meal, they knew they couldn't put it off any longer. They couldn't prepare properly if they didn't know what was going on, and they wouldn't know that unless they resumed the viewing.

"Everyone ready." Oscar asks.

"No, but play it anyway." Yang says. She needed to know what would happen to her other self. Even if she knows she probably isn't in the wrong, that won't change how people will treat her.

Pyrrha's also feels a need to know what happens next. While defeating Cinder seems like a perfect solution for when she returns, she still feels empathy for people's difficulties. Especially when the person in question is another version of herself.

 **Volume 3: Chapter 7: Beginning of the End**

"That really doesn't sound good." Jaune says. "But… wouldn't last chapter match this title better?"

"Unless that was just the prelude." Blake says. "Cinder seems to be laying the groundwork for something big. So we may actually see the start of it now."

"She's definitely after the Maiden powers, so it stands to reason that her plan will involve killing Amber." Ren says. "But her preparations seem a bit excessive just for that. She might have something else she wants."

 **After the opening, the screen stays black. "I want to be strong." Cinder's voice echoes in the darkness.**

"Well there's one answer." Sun says.

"That's most likely her motivation for wanting the Maiden power." Pyrrha says. "It's not unexpected, Goodwitch basically said it would be the case."

 **A sharp, familiar sound resonates. "A beautiful ring... for a beautiful woman." A man says.**

" **I'm sorry?" A woman says.**

"What is this?" Nora tilts her head. "Is the screen broken?"

"I think it's just another way the host has been creative with showing the story." Jaune says. "But beyond that, it's hard to tell what's going on."

" **I want to be feared." Cinder declares, the sound quality not matching the other voices.**

"It sounds like we might be getting small glimpses of various past events." Jaune says. "The way the voices sound and the lack of continuous dialogue would suggest it."

"So we're getting Cinder's backstory?" Ruby asks. "That's great! We've been hoping for this for a while now."

"But we probably won't be able to make much sense of it." Weiss groans. "Not that we can't try."

"Ignoring that, she said she wants to be feared." Ren says. "Could she be trying to cause a catastrophe because that will make her feared?"

"But that's so… petty." Pyrrha complains. "Is she really just doing this for her ego?"

"She does seem like a bit of an egomaniac." Sun says. "I mean… it's disgusting, but it wouldn't surprise me."

" **What!?" The man is suddenly surprised by something. "Impossible! Where did it...!?" The hurried footsteps of someone fleeing the scene is fade into the background.**

" **She went that way!" A new man says.**

"So… she stole something?" Oscar asks.

"That didn't sound like her voice before." Blake says. "My guess would be that it was Emerald."

"It didn't sound like Emerald either." Jaune says.

"Remember what Emeralds Semblance is, she can disguise herself." Blake says. "Her voice also changes, plus we know she's a thief. So it seems likely."

" **I want to be powerful." Cinder says.**

' _That's basically the same as saying she wants to be strong.'_ Ren thinks. _'Is there an actual distinction to her, or was this just because listing three things sounds better?'_ The answer probably doesn't matter, but it does bug him a bit.

" **Someone, call the police!" Another woman calls.**

" **How'd she do that!?" The first man wonders.**

 **Suddenly, the darkness cuts to the smirking face of Cinder Fall, seen with shorter hair.**

"Definitely a flashback." Weiss says. "I doubt she had time to have a haircut between episodes."

"I'm just glad it's back to normal." Nora says. "That 'voices in darkness' thing just seems confusing."

" **How did you do that?" Cinder asks.**

 **The person she is talking to in the abandoned alleyway, cornered against a wall, is revealed to be Emerald Sustrai. Emerald has a ponytail instead of her usual locks and is wearing a different outfit, missing her usual white top and arm accessories. She glares at this stranger while glancing around, backing away slowly and not answering.**

"This is their first meeting then." Blake deduces.

"I just hope we'll actually get to see her explain her plan." Ruby says.

Nora gets tense. Ever since they got a glimpse of Emeralds background in that song, she's been worried it might be similar to her own. If she hasn't met Ren could she have ended up like that? She'd like to think she's different, but before she was so desperate she would have clung to anyone who reached out a hand to her.

" **Don't." Cinder warns just as Emerald attempts to get her revolvers from their holsters. "Unless, of course, you want them to hear you." There is a sound of footsteps running past and people asking: 'Where did she go'.**

"It's still a mystery where Emerald got her training." Ruby says.

"She seems like she might have been self-taught." Blake says. "A surprising number of people are, though I will admit it's quite impressive given her weaponry."

"Some weapons are easier to learn alone than others." Pyrrha says. "A Scythe is probably one of the hardest to learn without someone to guide you."

 **Emerald lets go of the grips to her weapon. "What do you want?"**

"At this point I'd usually be cheering for her to finally explain herself." Nora says. "But I've come to accept that we won't be getting answers just like that."

"This is one of the more unfortunate effects of this being shown as a story." Jayne says. "A plan isn't interesting if you already know it and nothing goes wrong, so instead we only learn about it as it's happening. Never realised it also applies to the villains plans."

"I'm starting to think our host cares more about this being 'entertaining' than informative." Weiss groans.

 **Cinder steps forward slowly, glass anklet shifting with her footsteps. "I've already told you. And I don't like repeating myself."**

" **I didn't do anything! Just leave me alone!" Emerald almost pleads.**

"I can't think of anyone who would actually believe that." Sun says. "She hardly acts like a great thief."

"And you would know?" Blake says.

Sun shrugs. "Vacuo, remember."

" **I know my fair share of liars and thieves." Cinder says. "Stealing is an art of patience, coordination, and in a pinch, sleight of hand. But you didn't steal the ring in your pocket." Emerald looks shocked and checks the pocket where her prize is as Cinder crosses her arms, continuing. "You took it right before the jeweller's eyes. And he smiled."**

"Wait, how?" Pyrrha asks. "I understand that she must have used her Semblance, but even then they'd be able to tell that she took something without paying."

"I guess she could be more skilled then I gave her credit for." Sun says.

' _I'm starting to doubt that's just it.'_ Ren thinks. _'The way everyone acted makes it sound like something impossible just happened. Are we missing something_ _?'_

 **Emeralds surprise turns to suspicion once more. "Who are you?"**

 **Cinder keeps on smiling as the scene fades to black, and the echoing voices return.**

"Urgh!" Nora groans. "Why does it have to do this."

"Just think of it as a clip show." Jaune says.

" **You will question everything you know." Cinder says as monstrous growling is heard in the background.**

Oscar's eyes widen. "Doesn't that sound like…"

"A Beowolf." Ruby says. "It does."

"The hell is she doing with a Beowolf?" Yang wonders.

" **This is impossible." Whatever Emerald is seeing has her in complete disbelief.**

"Something unexpected at the very least." Pyrrha says.

"What… like some freaky experiment?" Sun asks.

"That doesn't seem right." Ren says. "Something about the way Emerald said it makes me think it's something as unusual as the existence of Maidens."

Everyone stays quiet. They'd all shared a certain idea as to what it might be, but it was quickly dismissed. However, considering that things like the Maidens exist means it's almost plausible. None of them want to admit this.

" **I wish to take on an apprentice." Cinder says to someone.**

" **He lives in the mountains with his son." An unknown man says.**

"An apprentice?" Yang wonders.

"This must be how she met Mercury." Weiss says. "I'd expect the apprentice part was mostly just an excuse."

" **Follow me, and you'll never be hungry again." Cinder says.**

" **Thank you..." The relief and gratitude in Emeralds voice is evident.**

Nora barely resists the urge to flinch back. This is exactly what she thought it might be. The parallels to her own life are far too close for comfort.

Thankfully, the parallels end when it comes to the character of the person who found them. Ren acted out of genuine concern, but Cinder just seems to be using Emerald for her own goals. The thought of this sickens her, but at the same time she's finding it harder and harder to hate Emerald. She could probably have turned out just as bad if she hadn't been so lucky.

 **The darkness opens up once more on the panting, bruised and bloodied face of another familiar youth, Mercury Black. He is missing his armour and sash, and his knees are bandaged and stained with blood. There is light from a burning house dancing to his back as he stands before a confident Cinder and wary Emerald.**

"Oh god!" Weiss gasps as she looks at Mercury's bloodied knees.

Blake says. "Isn't that where Yang…"

"I couldn't have known." Yang interrupts. "And besides, he fights with his legs. Where else was I meant to hit?"

"Wait. How can he fight with injuries like that?" Weiss asks. "I mean that… doesn't look recoverable."

"That's..." Ruby pauses. "...actually a good question. How can he fight like that?"

"Magic." Sun waves his hands.

"Seriously?" Blake raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, seriously." Sun says. "Cinder has Maiden powers, so what if that includes the ability to heal serious injuries?"

"I suppose that does sound possible." Pyrrha says.

"As long as we don't know the extent of Maiden powers, anything can be considered possible." Weiss says.

" **What are you looking at!?" Mercury taunts them.**

" **I'm looking for Marcus Black." Cinder calmly replies.**

"Marcus?" Oscar says. "Is he some kind of relative of his?"

"Most likely his father." Ren says. "That's the only relative of Mercury's we've heard of so far."

 **Mercury spits blood on the ground as he gestures back at the burning house and the dead white-haired man lying face down behind him. "There you go."**

Ruby gasps. "Did he... his own father..."

"I can't believe this." Yang says. "How could he?"

"We already knew they weren't on good terms." Ren says. "I guess we miss-understood just how bad his home life must have been."

Ruby can hardly imagine it. The idea of killing your own father. Granted, she also couldn't imagine having a horrible father in the first place.

 **Emerald gets up from her stance. "That's... the assassin?"**

" **And you're his son." Cinder deduces.**

"Assassin?" Blake repeats.

"That makes far too much sense." Weiss says. "I can hardly imagine someone in that line of work being a good parent. And if he was training his son then this almost sounds inevitable."

 **Mercury doesn't acknowledge this, merely wiping his lips of blood.**

 **Cinder grins. "We saw your fight from the treeline. He's taught you well."**

" **Guess so." Mercury responds.**

"So it was a proper fight rather than a stealth assassination." Pyrrha reasons. "Who knows, maybe it was Marcus who struck first?"

"Forgive me if that doesn't change my opinion of Mercury much." Yang says.

" **What's your name?" Cinder asks.**

 **A moment passes before he tells her. "Mercury."**

" **Mercury..." Cinder nods in approval. "Tell me, are you anything like your father?"**

"What reason would they have for wanting an assassin?" Jaune wonders.

"Maybe for when they attack Amber?" Weiss reasons.

"But that wouldn't help since Cinder needs the powers to heal Mercury." Sun says.

"Then it could be something else. I'm sure Cinder has plenty of reasons for wanting an Assassin working for her." Weiss says.

"I'm sorta frightened by how true that probably is." Yang says.

 **The scene fades to black on her smile again.**

" **So what's in it for me?" Mercury asks.**

"That's a good point, what does Mercury gain from this?" Blake asks.

"I doubt we'd be able to guess." Jaune says. "We'll probably just have to wait to find out."

" **We don't need him!" Emerald complains. "Everything was going fine!" A slap is heard, and she cries out in pain.**

" **Do not mistake your place." Cinder scolds.**

While everyone else is disgusted by this, Nora is almost slightly pleased. If she and Ren had found someone else who wanted to join them on their travels, she'd have been more than happy to welcome then to the group. This helps prove she's different from Emerald, at least on some level. She stuck with Ren not because of some selfish need for attachment, but because she genuinely likes him.

Of course, not 'likes him' likes him.

" **My dad always said... 'if you need to know a city, ask the rats.'" Mercury says.**

" **Well, hello, gorgeous." Torchwick chuckles darkly.**

"And so begins the evilest team up in recent history." Sun remarks.

"As much as I want to correct you, you might be right." Weiss says.

Sun actually expected someone would try to correct him. It's why he specified 'recent' history.

" **So, let me get this straight..." This new voice is clearer than the others.**

Blake flinches back as she hears this voice. She recognises it, how couldn't she. She only hopes that Mercury's comment about rat's refers to Torchwick and not 'them'.

 **Darkness cuts away to the image of Cinder standing respectfully in the centre of a tent, Emerald and Mercury sitting on their knees behind her. Two members of the White Fang armed with a rifle and sword are to one side, and the Lieutenant leaning up against the other, as a man steps into view before a map of Remnant.**

"You have any idea when this could have been?" Ruby asks Blake.

"I don't know." Blake replies. "It's probably after I left, since I'd never seen any of them with the White Fang."

"It's annoying how we don't have any idea when any of this takes place." Yang complains. "But it can't have been that long before the start of the academy year."

"Between the 'Black trailer' and the start oy the academy year." Weiss reasons. "How much time is that?"

"Less than half a month." Blake answers. "Does that help us in any way?"

"It doesn't, but it's good to get a clear picture on what's going on." Ren answers.

" **You could've gone to anyone for help." Adam says. "You could've made a deal with a gang leader, paid off some Huntsmen that have strayed from their... righteous path... but instead, you choose to seek an audience with me."**

Ruby's taken aback. "Do some Huntsmen really take jobs like that?"

"I'd like to think none would ever accept this particular job." Sun says. "But there are a good number that take on more unpleasant work."

"You can hardly call those people Huntsmen." Pyrrha says.

"They're more along the lines of if Cardin ever graduates." Sun explains. "Sorta jerks, but they at least have some idea of right and wrong."

" **You're the one we need." Cinder says. "Your skill, your ability to lead those beneath you."**

"She just wants an army willing to die for their beliefs." Blake snarls. "Doubt she cares even the slightest bit about the Faunus movement."

"Not gonna disagree on you with that one." Yang says.

" **You're an exceptionally valuable man, Adam." Cinder says. "And we've put a lot of thought into…"**

" **Then you're clearly not thinking straight!" Adam interrupts her, stepping forward with his finger raised. "If you truly understood me, you would know coming here was a mistake. The White Fang is not an organization for hire. We're a force… of revolution!"**

 **Adam makes a fist with his last word, and Emerald shares a look with Mercury, eyebrows raised.**

"How does she convince them?" Ruby wonders. "I mean… Adam seems really stubborn, so can't imagine him giving up."

"I've been wondering about that." Blake says. "He's not the kind of person to follow orders easily. It's why no one likes to question his leadership, and unfortunately why so many people follow him."

" **I believe our plan will be beneficial for all parties involved." Cinder is unintimidated as Adam continues pacing around the tent. "I have... an associate in Vale. He and I are working on a revolution of our own. But we can't do it without your forces. We need…"**

" **What you need... is to leave." Adam hoists up his weapon as a threat. "You're asking my men to die for your cause - a human cause." He puts a hand to the hilt of his sword. "That is not an idea I am willing to entertain."**

"Does she come back later to recruit them." Ren wonders. "It doesn't seem like this will lead to an alliance."

"That's the only possibility I can think of." Jaune says.

 **Cinder scowls in obvious displeasure, but makes herself bow to the White Fang leader. "Very well."**

 **The three leave the tent and go off into the nearby woods, with Adam stepping out to look at them from behind his mask.**

"I just wish he'd stuck with this decision." Blake says. "I didn't like the way he was leading before, but it was far preferable to working with her."

" **What was that about?" Blake steps up behind him, hand on her side.**

"Blake!?" Yang yells. "You were actually there?"

"I… I never saw them." Blake hastily replies. "And this is like… wow, I remember when this happened."

" **Nothing." Adam begins to walk away. "We need to finish preparing. The train will be here at dawn."**

 **Blake follows her mentor as the scene fades to black.**

"I'm guessing that's the train form your trailer." Weiss says.

"It is." Blake confirms. "I just… I wish I'd noticed them. If I had then I could have realised the moment they arrived at Beacon."

"Don't blame yourself over this." Yang says. "You had literally no way of knowing."

"Yeah." Ruby agrees.

' _That doesn't change the fact that I was turning a blind eye to the way the White Fang was being run.'_ Blake thinks. _'Though if I remember correctly, that would have been when I was figuring out if I wanted to leave the Fang behind.'_

"Think of it this way." Jaune says. "If you had stayed there much longer then you might ended up working for Cinder at some point."

The idea of this is unsettling for all of them, especially Blake.

" **So now what?" Mercury asks.**

" **There's another task we must attend to." Cinder says.**

"What else would they have been doing around then?" Oscar asks.

"There's attacking Amber." Weiss suggests. "Though I almost hope it's something else so we can figure out how their plan works."

"I'm not hoping that at all." Ruby says. "The less damage they've already done, the better."

" **Excuse me, but I'm looking for a friend of mine." Emerald says with a cheerful voice.**

" **Ah, yes. She was just here yesterday." Someone answers.**

"Sounds like they're tracking down Amber." Jaune says. "At the very least, I hope we'll be able to see how she stole the powers." _'If there's a way to easily reverse it, that would be perfect.'_

"I'm more interested in how powerful a Maiden is." Weiss says. "Plus, actually getting to see the powers will be excellent confirmation."

"Please tell me you don't still doubt it." Yang says.

"Of course not." Weiss refutes. "But it's important that we actually see it."

" **Remember the plan. Exactly as discussed. Not a foot out of place." Cinder instructs.**

"I'm guessing something goes wrong." Ren says. "How else would she have only stolen half the power?"

 **The darkness cuts to the overcast view of a forest, a single path with a wooden fence to either side cutting through the green. From the trees comes a lone white horse trotting along slowly, a green-cloaked rider with golden armour and her hood up on its back. The animal comes forward as the sharp sound is heard once more, and the two stop when they come across the scene of a young green-haired girl curled up and crying next to a felled bicycle.**

"That's definitely Amber." Pyrrha says. "And judging by that noise, I'd say the girl is Emerald in disguise."

"Does that mean we can use it to figure out when she's disguised?" Ruby wonders.

"I doubt it." Jaune says. "I'd guess the noise isn't actually happening, and it was just added to the video for our benefit."

"That makes sense." Ruby accepts, though she wishes it wasn't the case.

' _But adding the noise does seem weird.'_ Jaune thinks. _'It doesn't seem to fit with putting on a disguise. It would make more sense for it to be associated with…'_ His expression freezes at the revelation comes in. _'We've been looking at it the wrong way this entire time.'_

 **Despite the fact that another camera angle shows only a fully-grown Emerald standing there, the rider dismounts from her steed and slowly approaches the child, who looks up as the mysterious stranger kneels down to her level and smirks. The girl flinches in fright when the woman reaches into her clothes and pulls out an apple, not realizing she's only offering it to empty air.**

"W-wait, how is that possible?" Yang asks the questions on everyone but Jaunes mind.

"I can't believe I missed it this entire time." Jaune says, practically laughing at himself. "That's just… that's just so unfair."

"J-Jaune?" Pyrrha asks. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jaune replies. "Emerald's Semblance is hallucinations, not disguises."

"But that doesn't…" Weiss takes a moment to go through every instance of Emeralds Semblance. "How did we not notice?"

"We made an assumption, then took every bit of information as validation of it." Ren says. "This is why we need to be careful about jumping to conclusions."

"Still, how can she have such a powerful Semblance?" Sun says. "At that point we can't trust anything we see."

"There must be dome kind of limitations." Pyrrha says. "It's still a Semblance, so there will always be a way to counter it."

"Ohhh." Blake also realises something.

"What is it?" Yang asks.

"Emerald made you see Mercury attack you." Blake explains. "That's how they managed to pull it off."

"That bitch!" Yang yells. "At least it's not my fault though. Right? We can all agree that it wasn't my fault in any way."

"I think you're in the clear." Ruby says. "This could have happened to anyone."

"They probably did pick Yang because they thought she'd have a good chance at fighting back." Ren says. "That could have been the list they were forming before. The one where Pyrrha was a maybe."

"I'm… not sure I would attack back though." Pyrrha says. "And even if I did, I doubt they'd be able to guess how I'd attack."

"But you are one of the most well-known students at Beacon." Weiss says. "If it had been you they picked, there would have been even more outrage. They probably only picked Yang because she's predictable."

"Hey!" Yang yells.

"Don't even bother denying it." Weiss retorts.

 **Emerald stands only a few feet away from the oblivious heroine, scrunching her face up in determination and readying to attack by grabbing her weapons and sliding a foot back. The kicked-up dust manages to be seen behind the girl even when the one who kicked it doesn't. The hooded woman notices this, and suddenly goes on guard.**

"Well there's one easy weakness for Emeralds Semblance." Nora says.

"My guess is that she can't hide event's she doesn't consider, or isn't aware of." Blake proposes. "That means if you look carefully for inconsistencies then you could act through her hallucinations."

"That's easy enough to say, but I doubt it would be that easy on the battlefield." Jaune says.

"Then we'll simply have to practice that during our training." Pyrrha says. "It's not all that different from being on guard from a potential third party, just with a different emphasis on what you try to notice."

' _Only Pyrrha would have put so much thought into this.'_ Yang thinks.

 **The woman drops the fruit and leaps back in the same moment that the fake girl disappears. Her horse, sensing danger turns to run away on its own. The cloak drops from the woman, revealing herself to be Amber, wielding a double crystal-headed staff.**

 **Amber sees Emerald running towards her, guns blazing green shots, each of which are deflected against the Maiden's hand. Amber twirls the spear around her body, kicking up the winds and blasting it towards her opponent, forcing Emerald to slide back.**

"She can block bullets with her bare hands?!" Ruby says.

"It seems more like a force field." Blake says.

"Isn't that just how Aura works?" Oscar asks.

"You'd still feel the impact of the blow." Weiss explains. "Stronger guns will often knock people down, and that's ignoring how much damage it does to your Aura. I wouldn't be too surprised if she can do this forever, the only limit might be her concentration."

 **Just as Amber does this, Mercury comes up from the side and jumps over the fence, landing on her staff as she forces him and a returning Emerald back with another gale.**

"How is Mercury fighting?!" Nora asks. "His legs can't have healed, right?"

"We're probably missing something." Jaune says. "Once again we've made a guess and not considered any alternatives."

"Seems like we're doing a lot of that recently." Sun says.

"We have to make at least some guesses." Weiss says. "What if we don't get some answers, and end up forgetting about certain details?"

"That's what the notes are for." Ren says. "We should also what everything again once we're reached the end."

"In that case there's no problem with making assumptions." Ruby says. "And honestly, it would be pretty boring not to do so."

 **Mercury simply leaps on a post and launches himself at her, forcing Amber to unleash a stream of fire from the red crystal on him, but her attacker merely curls up and lets his legs take the brunt of the damage, flames burning away the orange pants as the complex machinery and lit-up metal making up the robotic prosthetics underneath is revealed.**

"How could we not have considered that?" Yang snarls in frustration.

"It's not exactly the first thing that springs to mind." Blake says. "Prosthetics aren't very common, especially ones built for combat."

"Strange to consider how Penny's entire body is practically prosthetics." Jaune says. "I wonder how her limbs differ from standard prosthetics?"

"It's probably about the same." Weiss says. "Obviously the most cutting edge version, but I doubt it's inherently different. The most interesting parts would be the ones we don't make prosthetics for, because if you lose it, you're already dead."

Ruby's not exactly comfortable with them talking about Penny like this. To her Penny is a friend before anything else. The idea of treating her like a machine makes her stomach turn.

"This also explains why he was willing to 'sacrifice' his legs in the tournament." Blake says. "All the pieces are coming together."

"But wouldn't someone notice?" Oscar asks. "They've gotta send a medic or something right? They'd notice that he doesn't have real legs."

"We can only assume they have a plan for that." Weiss says. "Hopefully we'll get to see what it is."

 **With his artificial limbs, Mercury continues to come forward through the fire and kick Amber onto her back, only for Emerald to land on her from above, cracking the very ground underneath.**

"Guess Maidens aren't completely invincible to regular people." Sun says.

"There's no such thing as an unwinnable fight." Pyrrha says. "Some people might have advantages due to their Semblances or other such abilities, but with enough training and the right strategies, any person can potentially beat any other person."

"You really think someone like Cardin could ever beat you?" Oscar asks.

Pyrrha considers this. "If he tried hard enough and figured out the best way to fight me, it's possible. Reasons like that are why you should never slack of on your training."

 **Emerald and Mercury jump back and get ready to fight again when Amber gets up, head bowed until she looks up with orange energy pouring from her eyes. The winds erupt from the Maiden, swirling around and making her enemies cover their faces from the force, when she lifts off the ground and spreads her arms to the sky, lightning now rumbling in the clouds for her to aim at the two, who barely get out of the way in time.**

"Woah!" Nora exclaims the awe and bewilderment that everyone in the room is feeling. "She's so powerful!"

Powerful. That's the right word to describe it. One couldn't confidently say that Ambers overwhelming them with skill or experience, but the sheer power the Maiden powers bring puts her head and shoulders above them.

Weiss sighs as she watches. This is all the proof she needs to accept the Maidens as reality. There's no way such power could ever be explained by anything but magic. And there are three more people who are capable of these things? The idea makes her skin crawl with an unnerving sense of excitement. There's a part of her that wants to be a Maiden now, how could she not. She understands that it's unlikely she'd ever be picked to become one, and that it comes with the danger of being hunted down. But the idea is just to appealing to not fantasise about it every now and then.

Pyrrha also feels something similar, but in her case it's more hesitation about the idea that she might one day inherit the power. That much raw power just… doesn't seem to suit her. She's spent her whole life perfecting the skills she has, she can't imagine being able to obliterate her opponents with sheer force. If she were to inherit the power, she likes to think she'd use it more tactically. Similar to how she obscured her Semblances capabilities, she'd rather use it to augment her own style. Maybe that's one of the reasons Ozpin wants her to inherit it. Because she'd be careful to ensure no one ever realised she has superhuman abilities.

 **Calling upon more of the storm, Mercury and Emerald continue to dodge each bolt as Cinder steps into view a ways back from the fight. The two ambushers fire on Amber, but the invisible shield now covers her whole body, taking each shot as she reaches to her side and clenches a fist, making the leaves rise into the air and come to her. With a raised arm, the leaves turn from green to frozen ice, and she rains the newly-sharpened projectiles down on her foes, who are unable to avoid the attack.**

"Isn't she meant to be the fall Maiden?" Sun asks. "This seems more like a winter thing."

"We were never told that the nature of the power relates to the season." Blake says. "I'm not saying there might not be differences, but from the looks of it I'd say it's more versatile than the season would imply."

 **Amber continues this assault until she senses Cinder running towards her from behind, face set in determination, and summons a fireball to launch at her third adversary, who manages to leap over the attack. Cinder slides across the ground, kicking up dirt. Cinder faces her palm to the dirt, the yellow fabric on her sleeve glowing, and coalesces the dirt into several glass shards, which she aims at the floating Maiden.**

"So that's Cinder's Semblance." Ren says. "Unless she already had magic powers, which I very much doubt."

"But how does it work?" Ruby wonders. "Can she just form things like dirt together or something?"

"It seems like it might be superheating." Pyrrha says. "Or perhaps amassing small particles? It's uncertain whether she would still use those abilities now she has magic."

"She used it when fighting me at Beacon tower." Ruby says.

"She was probably trying to hide her abilities then." Weiss says. "But it's at least good to keep that in mind."

"You think Maiden powers might somehow boost a person's Semblance?" Sun asks.

"I didn't even consider that." Weiss replies. "But it does seem possible."

"Though it could just as easily have no effect." Blake says.

 **Amber is knocked back from the damage, face down in the dirt, until she looks up with normal eyes just when the sharp sound is heard again. She first sees the area empty, but Emerald flickers into view for a moment, and Amber slowly realizes what's happening as Mercury also shifts into her frame of vision, with Cinder coming forward in spurts, swords raised.**

"Why wasn't she able to back that?" Ruby wonders.

"I'm not sure." Blake answers. "Maybe because of what kind of projectile it is."

"Explain." Jaune requests.

"Bullets are small, glass shards are big." Blake answers in simple terms.

"I suppose that makes sense." Weiss says.

"Then most of our ranged weapons won't work." Sun says.

"Speak for yourself." Nora grins. "I doubt it could fully block an explosion."

"I honestly anyone will ever be able to fully understand Maiden power's without actually having them." Ren says. "Whatever rules we think of are likely to be broken, if it's magic in the classical sense at least."

"All the more reason to think of strategies." Weiss says. "More strategies means more options, if one thing fails we can always try another."

 **Cinder attempts to slice Amber with the two blades, only for the Maiden to deflect each hit and kick the assailant away just as Mercury and Emerald come forward in her stead. The two miss their initial attacks and get kicked for their efforts, but Mercury lands a blow on her only for Amber to rush at him, not noticing Cinder connect her swords together into their bow shape and notching three arrows. Amber manages to punch Emerald and kick Mercury away right before turning around and seeing Cinder launch the arrows at the ground around her, which erupt in a high whistling noise and a burning explosion from each projectile. She feels the full force of it all, her Aura heavily damaged from the attack.**

"Told you explosions are the way to go." Nora says.

"They do seem especially effective." Ren admits. "Though for all we each Maidens abilities could be suited to the one wielding them."

"You can't let me have anything, can you." Nora sulks.

 **The screen is white for a moment before Cinder appears with her partners behind her, slowly approaching their target as she gets up from her hands and knees. She swipes at the three with a gust of wind that blows them all away, but Mercury races back towards her until he's blasted back by a bolt of lightning from the now burning-eyed Maiden. She suddenly turns back and sends a fireball at Emerald, only for it to disappear and the real thief to be revealed on the other side, also getting a blast of flame.**

"Looks like Emeralds hallucinations could take a big toll on her concentration." Jaune says. "If she's not in the right state of mind, I doubt she'd be very effective."

"Isn't that true of anyone?" Oscar asks.

"Not always." Jaune replies. "Yang's pretty terrifying when she's angry."

"But that doesn't mean she doesn't leave openings." Pyrrha says.

Yang just shrugs. It doesn't matter if she leaves a few openings. In fact, it actually works out best for her.

 **With all three of her opponents down, Amber grabs her staff from the ground and uses it as support to walk over to Emerald, wincing and clutching her side all the while. Emerald only has time to look up in fear before Amber glowers and raises her weapon to finish the fight... just when a quick whooshing noise ends with a sudden thump right as she gasps in pain.**

"No!" Pyrrha cries out.

"W-what happened?" Ruby asks.

"She should have kept her eyes on Cinder." Pyrrha explains, gritting her teeth. "Cinder was the real threat, but she focused on Emerald since she didn't like being fooled."

"You can tell that much just from the video?" Sun asks.

"It's just an educated guess." Pyrrha explains.

 **Eyes wide, Amber collapses forward, an arrow sticking out from her back while Cinder lowers the bow and smiles once more. She drops her weapon and calmly comes forward, taking out a white glove as Mercury and Emerald force their defeated foe to her knees.**

"This must be when it happens." Blake says.

No one's happy about the outcome, but they knew it would end something like this. The entire fight was a tragedy they had no way of stopping.

"All we can do now is figure out how Cinder stole the Maiden power." Ren says. "If there's some trick to the powers that not even Ozpin knows, then being able to tell him would be a big step towards fixing things.

 **Amber and Cinder meet eye-to-eye before the villainess lifts up her now gloved hand, the back of it marked with the red symbol of an open eye in a compass shape, broken on one side by five diamond shapes. Cinder reaches down, palm towards Amber when the white suddenly opens a small red portal, out from which a Grimm bug comes out.**

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Sun shouts. Everyone else yells something along those lines, but he was the loudest.

"G-G-Grimm?" Ruby squeaks. "How? How is she… …with a Grimm?"

"This is… this is impossible." Weiss says.

"That's exactly what Emerald said before." Jaune realises, still reeling from the appearance of the bug.

"You're saying it's real… that they can actually…?" Weiss doesn't even know how to finish that sentence."

"Last proper video we learned about Maidens." Jaune says. "We didn't believe it at first, but now it's undeniable. And now we've learned about people who can control creatures of Grimm. This puts everything we previously knew into question."

"M-maybe it's some sort of parasite." Ruby suggests. "One that makes you work towards making things terrible." While terrifying, the idea is also comforting because it means people as terrible as Cinder might not really exist.

"She only just put the glove on." Ren refutes the idea immediately. "Plus the part where Emerald was with a Beowolf means that Cinder can somehow bend them to her will."

"But think of all the good you could do with that!" Yang yells. "Why would the people to figure it out use it for something like this?"

"My best guess is that to control Grimm you need to have goals that align with them." Jaune says. "If that's the case… wow, Cinder might be part of some weird Grimm cult."

"And that's what Ozpin's group fights against?" Weiss narrows her eyes. "Forgive me but… that just sounds so insane that I can't believe it without more proof."

"It makes sense that Ozpin would try to cover it up though." Blake says. "If every malicious person figured out they could betray humanity like that, I'm sure at least a few would."

"All we know for sure is that a single Grimm is cooperating with horrible people." Weiss firmly states. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves making wild guesses, we've had enough of that recently."

"Weiss is right." Ruby says. "If this really is important enough to be something, then it will be explained later. For now we're best of just watching."

Weiss nods her head. "Thank you."

Ruby smiles back, but in doing so, she's also hiding her own nervousness. The reason she made them drop the subject was because she didn't like the idea of it.

A Grimm cult? The mere idea frightens her more than anything else she's seen in the videos.

" **Please don't..." Amber's begging is just a whisper.**

 **The creature spits out a web of black, attaching to Amber's face in a familiar pattern. When she looks up, screaming, her one free eye is blazing, a final blast of wind erupting from her as the glow fades into the inky strands, up through the glove, and into Cinder's body. Her own victorious eyes light up with power, a shower of sparks surrounding her and black-and-red circle appearing under their feet. Amber closes her eye...**

"The Grimm is the one that transfers the power." Blake realises. "That's a strange ability for a Grimm to have."

"Maybe all Grimm interact with Maiden's in some way." Sun suggests. "I mean… what if they relate to each other in some way?"

"We already know that the Maiden's powers come from a hermit wizard." Yang says. "If the Grimm really are older than humanity, then that can't be the case."

"I wouldn't put too much stock in an old story like that." Ren says. "For all we know it could just be a way they explained the power's existence in the past."

"Either way it doesn't matter." Weiss says. "If the Grimm do normally interact with Maiden powers then Ozpin would have warned Pyrrha about it. Since that's not the case we can assume this is a special situation."

"So Cinder might have raised this Grimm to steal Maiden powers somehow?" Ruby asks.

"It makes more sense than anything else I can think of." Weiss replies. "Not that we can be sure, but maybe."

 **Then without warning, footsteps are heard racing towards the ritual, and Cinder only has a moment to look up and see Qrow swinging his sword down on them, severing the web and making the three leap back.**

"Yeah Qrow!" Ruby cheers.

"That explains why only part of the power got stolen." Ren says. "And also why Mercury was wary of being noticed by him."

"But how come he didn't notice them in the tournament?" Blake asks. "Surely he would have seen them at least once?"

"It doesn't seem like he got a good look at them." Yang shrugs. "That's the best I can come up with. I also doubt he watched many of the fights."

"They were only in three matches." Sun points out.

"I'm just glad he arrived to save Amber at all." Pyrrha says. "Who knows what would have happened if she got all of the power."

"Apparently she would have still been doing something at Vale." Ren says. "Since she started making the preparations before this."

"That's all the more worrying." Weiss says.

 **The Huntsman grabs the unconscious Maiden before she hits the ground, and Cinder watches to her hand as the glove burns away into nothingness, leaving only a tattoo of high heels between her exposed shoulder blades.**

"What is that?" Ruby wonders.

"Some sort of Maiden mark?" Oscar guesses.

"That can't be the case." Weiss says. "Otherwise Ozpin would be on the search for someone with a 'strange tattoo' on their back."

"So it's something to do with the Grimm." Ruby reasons. "It does look sorta like Grimm markings."

"Speaking of… did she just become one with that Grimm!?" Yang yells.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but… probably." Blake says.

"That's disgusting." Nora's more than a bit creeped out.

"I can only assume it's related to a Geist's abilities in some way." Weiss says. "Though she seems to still be in complete control of herself."

"I wonder what else she's managed to do with Grimm." Jaune says. "I really hope it's just this."

 **Cinder looks up with a grin, right eye now brimming with golden energy, as she gets up from her position and raises her arms, embers circling around her. Qrow can only see her shimmering face for a second before the ground under him starts to glow, and he gets himself and Amber out of the way just as it explodes. He looks back and finds that the three are gone, then turns his worried gaze to the marked and comatose face of Amber when the scene fades to black.**

"She seems a lot more powerful with the Maiden powers." Oscar says.

"You can say that again." Sun agrees. "And that's only a part of it."

"I just hope Amber can recover." Ruby says.

"That… doesn't seem likely." Blake says. "Even Ironwood admitted it's just a matter of time."

"But if we return the Maiden powers then…"

"That's no guarantee." Weiss says. "And are you willing to be the one to do the deed?"

Ruby's startled. As much as she knows it would be for the best she isn't ready to kill someone. She could never set out on a task with the intention of murder.

" **The Huntsman severed the connection before it was complete." Cinder says, then waits for a reply. "Yes. It's... an emptiness. It burns. Like hunger. I like it." She responds as if she'd been talking to someone. "Yes. I will claim what is ours." ... "Thank you."**

"Who is she talking to?" Pyrrha asks. "And why can't we hear it?"

"That's another movie trick to hide someones identity." Jaune explains. "And yeah, it sucks."

"But the way she's talking." Weiss says. "Could it be… a mentor?" She was almost going to say master, but surely Cinder would be too proud for that.

"Regardless this means there are more people we may have to be worried about." Ren says. "Hopefully we'll be able to get their identities by the end of this so we can ask Ozpin to put out a search for their arrest."

"Sounds more like a job for Ironwood if you ask me." Yang says.

 **The darkness cuts back to the White Fang camp, Adam and the Lieutenant in a different tent around a table with maps, masks, and vials of Dust all around.**

" **We'll find her, sir." The lieutenant holds a hand up to his chest. "I swear on my life."**

"They sent out a search for you?" Oscar says.

"I thought they might." Blake replies. "It's one of the reasons I tried to keep a low profile during the first few weeks at Beacon."

Yang chuckles. "Don't lie, you were just shy."

"I-I wasn't!" Blake complains.

" **Forget it." Adam says. "It's time I returned to Mistral and..."**

 **His sentence is cut short with the sounds of groans, explosions, and crashing are heard outside the tent flaps. The two come out of the tent, blade and chainsaw raised.**

"Did Cinder strongarm the White Fang into joining her like she did Roman?" Sun wonders. "That doesn't really seem to fit with what we've seen before."

Blake sighs. "It may have started that way, but if they gave Adam opportunity to hurt people then… I'm worried he may have started to like working with them."

" **What is this!?" Adam yells.**

 **Cinder is there, swords drawn amid the still-smoking battlefield, with White Fang soldiers laying all around and her subordinates kneeling on the ground with cases in front of them. "We could've gone to anyone for help." She discards her weapons and strides towards the two. "But we chose you, Adam Taurus." A wall of flames abruptly starts at their feet as she raises her hand. "Our plan will be beneficial for both of us." The camera changes to view her face. The designs on her sleeve are glowing. "Or one of us." Emerald opens her case to reveal Dust crystals and collector canisters inside, while Mercury shows the neatly-arranged stacks of Lien in his. "So, which will it be?"**

 **Adam slowly straightens up while Cinder lowers her arm, clothes going back to their regular colours as she smiles.**

"There's no way the rest of the White Fang could know about this." Jaune says. "They can't all be crazy enough to follow her after that."

"That's why they wanted Adam." Blake says. "He may be crazy, but he believes in himself so much that others can't help but think he's in the right. I'd call him a puppet leader, but it seems like he's more than willing to work with them."

"That's really messed up." Weiss says. "How can they not realise what they're doing is wrong?"

"They don't want to." Blake answers. "And some of them just don't care."

" **Yang Xiao Long wins!" Oobleck's familiar declaration cuts through the flashback.**

 **The cheering of the crowd brings the scene back to where the story left off, in the Amity Colosseum, with Mercury's picture on the board crossed out with Yang's beside it. The final events of the previous episode play out in flashes of scenes.**

"Seems like we're back to the present." Oscar says. "Well… not our present but… you know."

"Finally!" Nora groans. "I hate it when stories do stuff like this."

"But we learned plenty of useful information." Ren's says. "I think that more than makes up for whatever grievances you may have."

"I wouldn't be too excited though." Jaune says. "It seems like the video might be almost over."

"Is it just me or have they been getting longer though?" Yang asks.

"It does seem that way." Ruby agrees. She's watched it all again recently, so she thinks she's got a good idea on it.

"They don't seem to have any set length though." Jaune says. "The length of each video seems to vary dramatically."

"This isn't like a regular show though." Blake says. "It would be very difficult to split real events into equal segments without making a mess. They probably just looked for the best cut-off points and edited around to make everything fit."

" **Yeah, you did it, sis!" Ruby cheers from off in the crowds.**

" **There's not going to be a next time, Blondie!" Mercury says.**

 **He aims a sudden kick, and Yang punches him down with a shotgun shot from her Ember Celica. The applauding crowds turn to booing, and Yang is suddenly surrounded by Atlesian Knight-200 and Atlas Soldiers.**

" **Yang Xiao Long, stand down!" An Atlas soldier demands.**

" **My leg, MY LEG!" Mercury continues to fake his suffering.**

Everyone winces at the replay of events. Now they have proper context as to what really happened, but that doesn't mean seeing it isn't frustrating.

 **Cutting back fully to the present, Mercury is still cradling his injured limb, Emerald kneeling beside him and Yang in the centre of a ring of security, all with rifles aimed at her.**

 **Emerald calls out, distressed. "Please, somebody help him!" Paramedics come over with a stretcher, lowering it to Mercury. "Can you do something!?"**

"They must notice something's wrong, right?" Yang asks. "This should clear my name, right?"

"I'm sure Cinder's already planned for that." Blake says. "She could have payed of the medics in some way, or any other number of methods."

Yang groans. "I just… I just want this to be cleared up somehow."

"Welcome to the world of cinema." Jaune says. "Even on repeat viewings I like thinking about what it would be like if someone had just done that one thing to fix everything. Guess it's also true for real life."

"Except we really can do that one thing." Ruby's says. "All we've gotta do is figure out the best way to do it."

"Current abnormal circumstances aside, is there any chance of them being foiled?" Weiss wonders. "It can't be completely fool proof, else Cinder would have managed to steal all of the Fall Maidens power."

"We already know it's going to succeed." Blake says. "After what we read in Ruby's letter, and the original warning about a catastrophe, there's really no other alternative."

 **There is a rip in the leg of Mercury's pants, and skin and blood are visible through the rip.**

 **One paramedic exchanges a glance with his co-worker. "We need to get this boy to a hospital. Grab a blanket."**

"That's not what should be there!" Yang complains. "What about the prosthetics? That's definitely below the cut-off point."

"They must be under Emeralds hallucinations." Pyrrha says. "That seems like the obvious answer."

"And that unfortunately means she can use her Semblance on multiple people at once." Ren says. "I was hoping she would be limited to a single person."

"I swear her Semblance sounds more broken every time I hear about it." Yang says.

 **They get Mercury on the stretcher and rush him off, Emerald following right behind. Yang looks on with a horrified expression, her lilac eyes now almost colourless.**

" **You don't understand!" Yang points at Mercury. "He attacked me, I swear!"**

 **The Atlas soldiers just lift their guns higher in response. "Stow it! You've already caused enough of a scene!"**

"Why can't they at least listen to her?" Nora yells.

"Would you really believe someone over your own eyes." Sun says. "We all know she didn't do it, but you can't blame them."

"If Yang says she didn't do it then she didn't do it." Ruby firmly states.

"She's not exactly the kind of person to lie at a time like this." Weiss agrees.

Yang's glad to know her team would support her through this. But then she turns to the final member and notices her flinch.

Blake can't help but feel ashamed for not trusting Yang automatically. She knows blind faith isn't a good thing, but she should have given the benefit of the doubt at least once. As she looks at Yang she can't help but feel like her mistake might have brought a rift between them. One she's going to need to close some time soon.

 **Meanwhile, Emerald runs alongside the two paramedics as they come across an open door with a woman in the same outfit inside.**

" **Here! We've got an ambulance ready to go!" The woman gestures them to stop.**

"Now I definitely recognise that voice." Sun says. "They really thought this part through."

"It wouldn't be hard for them to get records of standard emergency procedures from the CCT." Ren says. "That could be one of the reasons they had to install the virus."

"But I doubt it was the main reason." Weiss says. "It seems like far too much effort and risk for something like that."

"Does anyone here have a clue what the real purpose could be?" Ruby asks.

"She probably wants to control information flow when her plan comes to a head." Blake says. "That's my best guess, but I could easily be wrong."

 **Later, the back door closes on the emergency airship they loaded Mercury in.**

 **A paramedic sighs. "Hope they'll be okay. That girl won't leave his side."**

 **The woman, revealed to be Cinder nods under the white cap with a red cross she's wearing. "We'll take good care of both of them."**

"Is it weird that a small part of me wants to know where she got that outfit." Yang says.

"That's probably just one of the mysteries that we'll never learn of." Jaune says. "We can't exactly expect this to cover every detail, can we."

 **The transport flies away from the Coliseum, and Mercury is lying on a cargo box in the back, still moaning and crying beside Emerald sitting next to him.**

" **Oh doc, tell me, will I ever walk again?" As retribution for this Mercury receives a punch in the arm from Emerald, so he rubs the sore spot he actually got hurt from. "Ow! What's your deal!?"**

"It's really disturbing how easily they can joke in a situation like this." Yang says.

"It just goes to show how little they care." Weiss says. "I doubt they have even a bit of remorse for their actions."

"How could they not care even the littlest bit?" Ruby asks. She just can't understand that kind of mindset.

"I don't know." Weiss says. "As much as I've seen it, I really just don't know."

 **Emerald groans as she puts a hand up to her forehead. "Ugh, headache. One mind I can handle, but two is a stretch."**

"Seems like she really can only handle one person at a time." Pyrrha says. "I doubt she'd be able to fight with what's apparently a really bad headache."

"Glad we finally have one weakness we can exploit." Weiss says. "Her Semblance honestly seemed like one of the most difficult obstacles to counter."

"I assumed you were planning on taking them by surprise." Oscar says.

"We probably will." Weiss replies. "But we've already seen how that doesn't always work out. It's always best to plan for these things."

" **Well, you all performed marvellously, driver included." Cinder calls back to them from the co-pilot's seat.**

 **The 'driver', wearing a similar uniform as Cinder, blinks her magenta eyes back to their usual brown and pink shades and nods in silent gratitude.**

"Shoulda known Neo would be involved somehow." Yang groans.

"Well, it's been a long time since we last saw her." Sun says. "Guess a mute girl would draw too much attention."

"Wait… she's mute?" Ruby says.

"How do you know that?" Blake asks.

"I… erm… I just assumed." Sun stutters. "I mean, she hasn't said anything and it was kinda freaking me out."

"So you're not sure." Weiss glares at him.

"He's probably right though." Yang says. "During our fight I didn't even hear her grunt. I did sorta find it odd."

" **So, you think it worked?" Mercury asks, as the airship continues to fly away.**

 **TV static cutting to the Vale News Network with the combined kingdoms' symbol and a caption reading 'Tournament Tragedy'. "A terrible tragedy took place this afternoon in the one-on-one rounds of the Vytal Festival Tournament..." Lisa Lavender, a reporter says.**

"This sucks." Nora complains.

"You can say that again." Jaune agrees.

 **TV static switches the channels to...**

" **I don't know what Beacon's Headmaster is teaching his students, but that was disgraceful! Completely uncalled for!" A tourist from Haven gives his thoughts on the situation.**

"Are they even allowed to broadcast such depressing news?" Oscar asks. "There must be some rules against it, in order to limit Grimm attacks?"

"The media is advised to refrain from causing too much panic." Ren explains. "But preventing the suppression of facts is one of the things the great war was fought over."

"And the media's always hunting for the newest gossip." Weiss says. "With how widely broadcast this was, it was probably accepted that the negative emotions were inevitable anyway."

Just hearing this makes Yang feel sick. How many people lose their lives because of her mistake? She was being manipulated, that's obvious, but she shouldn't have been so easily fooled.

 **TV static switches the channel to...**

" **Despite Atlas reinforcements, local authorities are still calling on any available Huntsmen to aid in suppressing the spike in Grimm activity." Video feed of Grimm advancing from Mountain Glenn to the city is shown.**

"Are they going to cancel the Vytal tournament?" Ruby asks. "If the Grimm are that active then…"

"They couldn't risk the negative publicity." Blake says. "If the Vytal festivals cancelled then everyone knows for a fact that things are bad enough that they have to take special measures. That would probably make things even worse."

"They'll probably think that by acting like everything's fine they can simply move past it." Ren says. "They would usually be right, if not for the fact that some people are actively trying to sabotage the tournament."

 **The projected screen in the warehouse switches off entirely.**

" **Hey, I was watching that!" Mercury complains from his spot at a table, while using a screwdriver to tune up his mechanical leg.**

" **Shut up!" Emerald yells.**

" **Is this how you treat a patient?" Mercury asks, so Emerald reaches over and twists the screwdriver in his leg, causing him to wince. "Ah, too tight!"**

"Serves him right!" Yang says.

"I heard prosthetics can be insanely painful when not maintained properly." Weiss says.

"Serves. Him. Right." Yang states. At this point she has no sympathy for any of them.

" **Enough." With one word Cinder brings the bickering to a stop. "Our Mercury put on a wonderful show. He was quite brave."**

"He cried like a baby." Nora recalls. "How is that brave?"

"I hate to admit that it was quite good acting." Pyrrha says. "Even I couldn't tell that he wasn't in any real pain."

 **Mercury resumes fixing his parts as he talks to Emerald. "These things aren't exactly cheap, you know."**

" **So, what's next?" Emerald asks Cinder.**

 **Cinder turns to her, grinning with arms crossed. "You and I will ensure that our next matchup goes just as smoothly."**

"You have got to be kidding me!" Jaune says. "How are they gonna manipulate things when none of them are in the fight."

"They'd have to use Emerald's Semblance." Blake says.

"But then both sides can just explain what really happened." Jaune says. "And it's not like she can predict both sides actions so perfectly that they end up blaming each other, at least not without one of them there to directly interfere."

"They must have some other plan then." Ren says. "Let's just hope it will be the last match they try to interfere with."

' _Surely someone would get suspicious if matches repeatedly ended with people seeing things that didn't really happen.'_ Jaune says. _'Even if they do it only once more, someone in Ozpin's group will catch on.'_

" **What about me?" Mercury asks as the other two turn to leave.**

" **You get to lay low until the end." Cinder instructs. "We wouldn't want people to see you on your feet and have this all be for naught, now would we?"**

" **Can do." Mercury agrees. He goes back to screwing his limbs back to perfection, smiling, and the blue area under his artificial knee lights up right before the video ends.**

"Well that was mildly terrifying." Sun says. "Why do things always have to go according to the villains plans?"

"At least we learned a lot." Blake says. "This was probably the best Video in terms of helping us plan ahead."

"I still don't like flashbacks." Nora grumbles.

Oscar asks. "So are we watching the next one or…"

"Just play the next damn video." Yang says.

"Yang!" Ruby yells at her sister.

"I'm sorry." Yang quickly apologises. "This is just… it's just a really hard day for me."

"It's fine." Oscar replies, starting the next video.

* * *

 **Ren's Notes:**

Cinder wants to be strong, feared, powerful

Unusual starting presentation

Cinder's backstory?

Catastrophe in order to be feared?

Someone stole something, possibly Emerald.

Emerald and Cinder's first meeting, back alley after Emerald stole something

Emerald likely self taught

Plan unlikely to be told before happens due to narrative reasons

Emerald stole right in front of someone, very skilled. (Something else going on?)

Cinder does something to Beowolf, Emerald in disbelief

Cinder searches for Mercury/his father

Emerald very grateful to Cinder, saved her from living on streets

They find Mercury with cuts across his legs, possibly healed by Cinder's maiden powers

Cinder originally looking for Marcus Black, who was killed by Mercury

Marcus was assassin, Mercury his son

Cinder has need for an assassin

Emerald not happy with someone else joining them, Cinder ruthlessly asserts dominance

Cinder gets in touch with Torchwick

Cinder gets in touch with Adam Taurus

Cinder just needs a dedicated army

Adam chooses not to work with them at first, doesn't like following others

Plan is "Beneficial to both parties"

Cinder must come back later

This took place just before Blake left WF, didn't see them though

Cinder has another task, must steal Maiden powers

Amber tricked my Emerald as little girl

Sound for disguise not real

Emeralds Semblance actually hallucinations.

We should be careful about assumptions

Emerald must have limitations

Emerald caused Yang to think Mercury was attacking her

List from before about who to frame, Yang more easy to manipulate than Pyrrha

Emerald can miss small details in her hallucinations, we need to train to notice

Maidens can block bullets with bare hands, uncertain limitations

Mercury in the fight, how?

Mercury has prosthetics to fight, explains why he sacrificed his legs in tournament

Maidens still beatable by normal people

Maidens very powerful: telekinesis, freezing things, full body forcefield. Uncertain what traits are universal or user specific

Season doesn't indicate what powers they have (probably)

Cinder's Semblance: Super heating, amassing small particles or similar

Maiden powers might boost Semblance

Maidens might be vulnerable to larger projectiles (everything about them still speculative)

Explosions especially effective

Emerald's hallucinations take large toll on concentration, likely can't fight actively at the same time

Must keep eyes on Cinder, she's always the most dangerous

Amber restrained, Cinder pulls out glove that contains **Grimm bug!**

Cinder can control Grimm ? Must be limits?

Grimm Parasite (unlikely)

Grimm cult? Must align with Grimm goals? Mustn't jump to conclusions though. Only one Grimm seen so far.

Grimm bug is the one that transfers power. Do all Grimm interact with Maidens?(unlikely)

Grimm bug likely made specially for stealing powers

Qrow intervenes, splitting connection. Doesn't see any face clearly

Maiden powers not end goal, was planning more before failed attempt

Cinder becomes one with Grimm bug to gain powers, causes mark on her back

Grimm bug similar to Geist

Cinder much more powerful with Maiden powers

Cinder talks to someone, likely her mentor/predecessor

At WF camp, Cinder comes to wreck everything and force cooperation

Adam likely came around to Cinder's plan with time

Back to last chapter's ending

Both medics see cut on Mercury's leg, take hit to hospital

Soldier unwilling to hear out Yang's side (understandable)

Cinder intervenes with medics to get Mercury out with her, wearing disguise with aerial ambulance

Emerald gets headache tricking two minds, unlikely to happen outside of planned events

Neon is driver of aerial ambulance. Is likely Mute

Several broadcasts show how bad the situation has become. (People's opinions, Grimm activity)

Mercury maintaining prosthetics

Similar plan with next matchup, uncertain about logistics when both participants need to be manipulated

Mercury laying low for the rest of the plan.


End file.
